2011
Career development services and skills
development programs: Gaps, innovations,
and opportunities
Final report
Karen Myers | Heather Smith Fowler | Dominique Leonard | Natalie Conte |
David Gyarmati
The Social Research and Demonstration
Corporation (SRDC) is a non-profit research
organization, created specifically to develop, field
test, and rigorously evaluate new programs. SRDC's
two-part mission is to help policy-makers and
practitioners identify policies and programs that
improve the well-being of all Canadians, with a
special concern for the effects on the disadvantaged,
and to raise the standards of evidence that are used
in assessing these policies.
Since its establishment in December 1991, SRDC has
completed over 100 projects and studies for various
federal and provincial departments, municipalities, as
well as other public and non-profit organizations.
SRDC has offices located in Ottawa, Toronto, and
Vancouver.
For Human Resources and Skills Development
Canada
The opinions expressed in this research document
are those of the authors and do not represent official
policies of Human Resources and Skills Development
Canada or other agencies or organizations that may
have provided support, financial or otherwise, for
this project.
For information on SRDC publications, contact
Social Research and Demonstration Corporation
55 Murray Street, Suite 400
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5M3
613-237-4311 | 1-866-896-7732
[email protected] | www.srdc.org
Published in 2011 by the Social Research and
Demonstration Corporation
Career development services and skills development programs: Gaps, innovations, and opportunities
Final report
Social Research and Demonstration Corporation i
Table of contents
Executive summary 1
1. Introduction 9
1.1 Background and rationale 9
1.2 Objectives 11
2. Methodology 13
2.1 Field research — In-depth interviews and focus groups 13
2.2 Selection 13
2.3 Data analysis 14
3. Findings 16
3.1 Context 16
3.2 Perceived gaps in CDS and skills development 23
3.3 Promising practices and approaches 33
4. Conclusions and recommendations 41
Appendix A: List of participants 51
Appendix B: Focus group protocol 53
Appendix C: Training provider interview protocol 54
Career development services and skills development programs: Gaps, innovations, and opportunities
Final report
Social Research and Demonstration Corporation 1
Executive summary
Background
This report presents findings from a series of consultations with provincial representatives and
Canadian providers of Career Development Services (CDS) and Skills Development (SD) programs. The
project was coordinated by the Federal Labour Market Ministers (FLMM) Career Development Services
Working Group (CDSWG). With funding from the pan-Canadian Innovation Fund, Human Resources
and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) engaged the Social Research Demonstration Corporation
(SRDC) to conduct a series of consultations with providers of CDS and SD training programs in Canada.
The need for these consultations grew out of an earlier project, Learning and Active Employment
Programs (LAEP).1 One of the goals of LAEP was to conduct a comprehensive review of the training
literature. The project led to the development of a conceptual framework (Palameta et al., 2010b)2 for
understanding the factors that influence success with training programs among unemployed adults.
This framework was then “applied” through a series of international consultations largely, in the US
and UK, which led to the identification of a number of key knowledge gaps and innovative practices in
meeting the needs of lower skilled unemployed adults (Myers et al., 2010).3
While Canadian research and program evaluations were reviewed as part of the findings, the LAEP
project did not include similar consultations with Canadian provinces and training providers. In fact,
few studies to date have explored how service delivery practices vary across Canadian jurisdictions and
how these differences may affect client outcomes. Program evaluations of services delivered under
Canadian Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDA) indicate there is a high degree of
heterogeneity in participant outcomes across Canadian jurisdictions — however, little analysis of how
these differences arise has been undertaken to date (Palameta et al., 2010b).4
In addition, there is little information on how Canadian service delivery has adapted to respond to
emerging needs; specifically, there is little research on gaps in service delivery, promising approaches,
and opportunities to test these approaches for improving client outcomes. In light of changing labour
markets and evolving client needs, understanding what works, when, and for whom in the provision of
CDS and SD is important for achieving positive client outcomes and for promoting the adaptability of
the Canadian labour force more generally.
1 Palameta, B., Myers, K., Gyarmati, D., and Voyer, J. (2010). Learning and Active Employment
Programs. Social Research and Demonstration Corporation.
2 Palameta, B., Myers, K., Gyarmati, D., and Voyer, J. (2010b). Understanding Training Program
Effectiveness: A Conceptual Framework. Social Research and Demonstration Corporation.
3 Myers, K., Smith Fowler, H., Leonard, D., and Gyarmati, D. (2010). Learning and Active Employment
Programs: Promising Approaches to Training in the US and UK. Social Research and Demonstration
Corporation.
4 Palameta, B. and Gyarmati, D. (2010). Learning and Active Employment Programs: A Review of
Canadian Program Evaluations. Social Research and Demonstration Corporation.
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Objectives
This report presents findings from consultations with Canadian provinces, CDS practitioners, and SD
providers. The purpose of the project is to investigate existing gaps in how the needs of lower skilled
unemployed Canadians are being met with respect to the delivery of CDS or SD services in participating
provinces. At the same time, we hope to elucidate particularly promising approaches that can be shared
across provinces, with the ultimate aim of proposing a set of options for future research projects that
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) may wish to pursue.
In this respect, the project has three broad objectives, which shaped the scope of the Canadian
consultations. Each has several possible areas for more focused inquiry:
Identify needs of unemployed lower skilled Canadians — What kinds of individual needs and
barriers should CDS and SD programs be seeking to address in order to effectively support positive
labour market transitions? Do many have literacy or foundational skills needs? Do many require unique
kinds of support for life course circumstances, notably, those with multiple barriers?
Identify promising approaches and effective practices in the Canadian context — What are some
of the promising approaches, designs, and delivery practices that are effectively meeting the needs of
lower-skilled unemployed Canadian adults? Are the innovations observed internationally also present
in Canadian jurisdictions, such as sectoral approaches, bridging programs, or pathways models?
Identify gaps and opportunities — Given the answers to the first two sets of questions, what are the
major gaps in the current process of providing CDS and SD services? Are client needs appropriately
assessed? Are clients suitably referred? Are CDS and SD services provided in ways that are fully
responsive to client needs with adequate supports? Are they equally responsive to needs of employers
and the labour market?
In these respects, what types of innovative options might HRSDC explore further?
Methodology
SRDC conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups with employment and career counsellors,
training providers and selected experts from Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and British Columbia. Participants
were selected based on a set of criteria that included: have extensive experience in the provision of CDS
involvement in some aspect of the Skills Development program; offer a full range of services to a wide
range of clients; and offer programs that are funded by multiple funding streams. In all three provinces,
participants represented a mix of urban and rural regions.
SRDC researchers analyzed data to identify emerging themes across provinces as well as key areas of
divergence, focusing on three key areas: identifying the needs of CDS clients, identifying gaps in
program design and delivery, and identifying the features of promising practices or innovative ideas.
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Social Research and Demonstration Corporation 3
Results
Context
Governance, Public Policy, and Service Delivery
The following table summarizes each province’s career development and training context.
Province Lead Ministry/ Ministries for Career
Development and Training
LMDA/LMA
agreements
Service Delivery Recent and Current
Policy/Program
Changes CDS Services Training
Nova Scotia Learning Branch, Ministry of Labour and
Advanced Education is responsible for:
Employment Nova Scotia
Adult Education
Labour Market Partnerships
Skills Development
LMDA
signed in
2008
LMA
signed in
2008
Third-party
contractors
Mainly Nova
Scotia
Community
College, and
some private
institutions
Manitoba Labour Market Skills Division, Ministry of
Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade is
responsible for:
Employment Manitoba
Industry and Workforce Development
Apprenticeship Manitoba
Ministry of Advanced Education and
Literacy responsible for PSE and adult
learning (adult literacy, Mature Student
Diploma, GED)
LMDA
signed in
1997
LMA
signed in
2008
Mainly
Employmen
t Manitoba,
with few
third-party
contractors
Mix of public
and private
education and
training
institutions
Implemented Career
Development
Strategy in 2009, a
cross-ministerial
policy framework to
facilitate and
coordinate
development of
labour market and
lifelong learning
programs and
services.
British
Columbia
Ministry of Social Development is
responsible for:
Employment & Labour Market Services
Income assistance
Disability assistance
Mental health and addiction services
coordination
Ministry of Advanced Education
responsible for PSE and adult education
(basic skills, vocational, ESL)
LMDA
signed in
2008
LMA
signed in
2008
Third-party
contractors
Mix of public
and private
education and
training
institutions
Launching a
restructured system
of Employment
Programs in April
2011
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Services and clients
All provinces offer career development programs and services that include the following features:
intake and assessment; employment counselling and job search services; career development
counselling; financial assistance for skills development programs; labour market transition services
such as job placement programs; self-directed services such as online labour market information; case
management services; and supports.
Participants in all three provinces stated that they serve a wide range of clients with various needs.
While many clients are considered “easy to serve,” a substantial proportion of clients have multiple
barriers to employment. A common theme reported across the three provinces is that clients’ needs can
be quite complex and include a combination of skills gaps, life circumstances, and non-cognitive
barriers.
Perceived gaps in CDS and SD
Intake, assessment, and employment counselling gaps
Practitioners emphasized the importance of assessment in the career development process as a key
element for ensuring a proper fit between clients’ needs and the services and supports that they are
eligible to access. However, practitioners also reported that assessment tools are sometimes inaccurate
predictors of employment readiness, narrow in their focus, and inappropriate for certain client groups.
Moreover, practitioners indicated that even if assessment tools were optimal, clients may still be unable
to access programs and services required to meet identified needs. According to practitioners this gap
would persist due to a combination of factors including narrow program eligibility rules and ‘short-
sighted’ program objectives that emphasize the shortest route to employment.
Career development program gaps
There was general agreement among practitioners that the career counselling process is important for
working with clients to map out pathways that are appropriate to clients’ interests, goals, skills, and
capabilities. However, most of the practitioners we spoke to reported that they are constrained in their
ability to effectively serve clients due in part to funding formulas that restrict the proportion of clients
that can access more intensive CDS services tailored to specific needs, such as clients with lower
literacy and Essential Skills levels.
Skills development and training gaps
Practitioners identified a number of gaps in this phase of the process including a general lack of access
to timely and sufficient training funds; the quality, flexibility, and availability of training options; and
the lack of clear pathways among the myriad adult education options.
Labour market transition gaps
A major theme across all three provinces was the notion that program rules make it difficult for
practitioners to meaningfully engage with employers. Practitioners see a need for more connections
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with employers in order to better identify current and upcoming employment opportunities; increase
employer awareness about programs such as wage subsidy programs; and promote the benefits of
hiring clients. Practitioners also expressed the need for retention programs and services once a client is
employed to help ensure that they do not cycle back into the system. Finally, practitioners report a lack
of programs that offer both skills development and work experience, which is a concern given the
increasing proportion of clients who need to change occupations and/or change industries and who do
not have contacts and networks in the new industry that would facilitate the job search process.
Promising ideas and approaches
Intake, assessment, and employment counselling
Assessment as a comprehensive but flexible process — Assessment conceptualized as a holistic
process rather than a tool, and that can be tailored to the specific situations of individual clients by
drawing on a comprehensive set of tools and practices (e.g., transferable skills, prior learning, informal
assessment, comprehensive approaches that cover a broad range of employability factors, etc.).
Matching based on need — Referring clients based on their needs, and not being limited by
(seemingly arbitrary) narrow program eligibility requirements or local availability as a means to
improve the match between clients and the services and supports they receive.
Partnering and pooling of resources — Consortium or partnership-based approaches to CDS that
pool resources, standardize the referral process, coordinate service delivery, and share knowledge and
expertise across providers in a region as a means to facilitate more responsive and consistent service
delivery.
Investment focus — Referring clients to programs that take a human capital, investment approach
focused on ensuring that clients have the skills and experience to succeed in a knowledge economy.
Career development programs
Multi-pronged approach — Options that draw on and connect three key aspects of career
development services: 1) in-depth understanding of the labour market (connections to employers,
knowledge of which sectors have better-paying jobs); 2) knowledge of education and training system (a
good sense of what kinds of training programs can lead people to a better advancement trajectory); and
3) ability to motivate clients facing multiple challenges.
Comprehensive set of CDS options — Offering a menu of CDS options to which clients could be
referred, depending on their specific circumstances. A comprehensive menu would include intensive
services for clients with multiple barriers; Web-based approaches for clients who can use services
independently; and transferable skills approaches, for individuals with low Essential Skills or who are
switching industries/sectors.
Skills development
Learning pathways composed of a range of flexible training options — Training solutions that are
tailored to client needs and interests and that aim to:
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Social Research and Demonstration Corporation 6
o Eliminate the trade-off between short-term training courses and longer-term
certificate/diploma/degree programs by allowing clients to apply credits from completed
courses to a formal educational program if desired;
o Offer a variety of training options that range in terms of focus, length, delivery modes,
schedules, and whether a credential is offered;
o Offer programs with multiple entry and exit points (e.g., module-based programs).
Training options that integrate several areas of learning — Various forms of integrated training
such as combining academic upgrading or Essential skills training with diploma courses, combining
industry certification training with Essential Skills training, or adding a workplace training component.
Training tailored to an adult audience — Options that accommodate adult life circumstances, have
relevant and meaningful learning goals, have many opportunities to engage in real-life, occupation-
specific example or simulations, and which provide instruction from industry-experienced, trained
instructors.
Labour market transition services
Dual customer approach — Initiatives that allow CDS practitioners to play a brokering role between
the demand and supply sides of the local labour market by addressing the needs of both individual
workers/clients and employers.
Work experience — Combining work experience opportunities with skills development options (e.g.,
Skills Development with Targeted Wage Subsidy). Other related promising practices include workplace
mentoring, and networking events and activities.
Retention supports — Offering supports to employers to help retain workers with various needs, and
extending supports and services to clients with special needs even after employment. Retention
supports are critical to helping people with disabilities or other special needs to obtain and retain
employment in a competitive environment.
Conclusions and recommendations
Respondents in our study have identified a large number of programs or practices that they believed
were working well in their jurisdiction. Notably, a range of partnership models in the delivery of CDS
and SD programs were observed in all jurisdictions. Innovative collaborative approaches have been
observed in both the planning and delivery of services including provider committees, co-location, and
delivery consortiums. Findings also suggest that other components of the innovative approaches
observed in international settings are also present in Canadian jurisdictions. Elements of sectoral
approaches were observed where industry is engaged along with other stakeholders in attempting to
align educational opportunities with labour market needs. Some of the principles of the career
pathways approach are also be found in existing delivery models including the design of some modular
offerings with flexible entry and exit points. However, jurisdictions differ considerably in this respect
and no province has implemented fully developed pathways models.
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At the same time, many respondents also identified gaps in services where the needs of clients were not
being fully addressed. In other cases, respondents expressed uncertainty about whether client needs
were being fully met or not, directly suggesting the need for further evidence about what works best.
Gaps in the assessment and referral process were noted, with much uncertainty about whether existing
tools sufficiently capture the range of client needs, or whether they are even suitable for all client
groups. Associated gaps in the planning and delivery of CDS and SD were also expressed, with concern
over the suitability of referrals and whether available offerings are fully meeting client needs.
Drawing on these findings SRDC has identified five broadly defined potential options for further
research. Tests of these approaches would provide significant evidence about what works best
throughout the range of client services. Option 1 addresses knowledge gaps about what works in the
assessment and referral process through process-driven assessment that meets a full range of client
needs. Options 2 and 3 address how the planning and delivery of CDS can be better organized through
collaborative partnerships and comprehensive delivery models. Options 4 and 5 then address how the
planning and delivery of SD training programs are best undertaken including an emphasis on sectoral
partnerships and pathways delivery models.
Option 1: A customized, flexible approach to assessment
Investigate assessment processes for predictive validity, implementation feasibility, and added value of
improved matches between interventions and individual clients’ needs. There are at least three types of
assessment processes that can be tested:
Comprehensive assessment processes — Assessment processes that consider a range of factors
affecting employment readiness including: skills, intention, motivation, expectations, self-efficacy,
coping capacity, disabilities, structural barriers, and personal circumstances.
Transferable skills processes — Assessment processes that use the transferable skills approach.
Psychosocial assessment processes — Assessment processes that focus on the psychological factors
of learning (e.g., intentions, motivation, and expectations; learning styles; ability to set and achieve
goals; and the ability to reflect on oneself and on what has been learned).
Option 2: A collaborative approach to CDS planning
Investigate the effects of a selected collaborative approach in a number of key areas, including whether
it increases the quality and quantity of services and provides better matches to client and employer
needs. There are at least three possible approaches to test:
a) Community CDS service provider committees — Committees or networks that bring together client
stakeholders and aim to promote referrals among member agencies, coordinate service delivery, gain
input from employers, and share knowledge and expertise.
b) Co-location — Multiple services for diverse groups of clients are offered at a single location, with an
aim to increasing access to services and wrap-around supports.
c) Career development consortiums — Regional consortiums that include membership of employment
services providers, training providers, local employers and other stakeholders, and that take a dual
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Social Research and Demonstration Corporation 8
focus by addressing the needs of clients, employers and other stakeholders, and aligning educational
opportunities with economic development objectives.
Option 3: A comprehensive set of CDS interventions based on client need
Investigate whether a significant proportion of clients, including “easy to serve” clients, may improve
employment outcomes if they receive tailored career development services including assistance
researching labour market opportunities, identifying career goals, and determining which training
programs can lead to a better advancement trajectory. This option could also investigate whether an
additional number of clients would benefit from more comprehensive assistance that would enable
them to overcome multiple barriers such as skills gaps, financial pressures, lack of supports, and mental
health challenges.
Option 4: Test a collaborative approach to training provision
Investigate the benefits of a collaborative approach to training provision for individuals and/or
communities, and the cost implications for government. There are at least two approaches that can be
tested within this option:
Program Advisory Committees — Advisory committees comprised of college faculty, administrators
and industry representatives. These committees could be present in each educational institution and
could recommend training programs to be offered in the institution in response to local
employer/industry needs. CDS clients could then receive funding to take these programs.
Regional consortiums — Training providers could form a regional consortium to identify local client
and employer needs, coordinate their training options, pool their resources and allocate funds. The
consortium could receive one lump-sum of public funds, and use a streamlined data collection and
reporting process. For further coordination, the consortium of skills development providers could
partner with employment service providers for referral purposes or to co-sponsor clients for specific,
skills-based training programs.
Option 5: A pathways approach to skills development that offers a comprehensive suite of
flexible, customized training options
Test the benefits of a training system that offers learning pathways between adult education and formal
college diploma and certificate programs; that facilitates the design and delivery of a range of short
term and longer term training programs targeted to different client groups based the needs identified
in the assessment process; offers flexibilities in terms of the mode of delivery; and integrates various
components to traditional training programs such as an LES or academic upgrading component.
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Social Research and Demonstration Corporation 9
1. Introduction
1.1 Background and rationale
This report presents findings from a series of consultations with provincial representatives and
Canadian providers of Career Development Services (CDS) and Skills Development (SD) programs. The
project was coordinated by the Federal Labour Market Ministers (FLMM) Career Development Services
Working Group (CDSWG). With funding from the pan-Canadian Innovation Fund, Human Resources
and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) engaged the Social Research Demonstration Corporation
(SRDC) to conduct a series of consultations with providers of CDS and SD training programs in Canada.
The need for these consultations grew out of an earlier project, Learning and Active Employment
Programs (LAEP).5 One of the goals of LAEP was to conduct a comprehensive review of the training
literature. The project led to the development of a conceptual framework (Palameta et al., 2010b)6 for
understanding the factors that influence success with training programs among unemployed adults.
This framework was then “applied” through a series of international consultations largely, in the US
and UK, which led to the identification of a number of key knowledge gaps and innovative practices in
meeting the needs of lower skilled unemployed adults (Myers et al., 2010).7
While Canadian research and program evaluations were reviewed as part of the findings, the LAEP
project did not include similar consultations with Canadian provinces and training providers. In fact,
few studies to date have explored how service delivery practices vary across Canadian jurisdictions and
how these differences may affect client outcomes. Program evaluations of services delivered under
Canadian Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDA) indicate there is a high degree of
heterogeneity in participant outcomes across Canadian jurisdictions — however, little analysis of how
these differences arise has been undertaken to date (Palameta et al., 2010b).8
In addition, there is little information on how Canadian service delivery has adapted to respond to
emerging needs; specifically, there is little research on gaps in service delivery, promising approaches,
and opportunities to test these approaches for improving client outcomes. In light of changing labour
markets and evolving client needs, understanding what works, when, and for whom in the provision of
CDS and SD is important for achieving positive client outcomes and for promoting the adaptability of
the Canadian labour force more generally.
5 Palameta, B., Myers, K., Gyarmati, D., and Voyer, J. (2010). Learning and Active Employment
Programs. Social Research and Demonstration Corporation.
6 Palameta, B., Myers, K., Gyarmati, D., and Voyer, J. (2010b). Understanding Training Program
Effectiveness: A Conceptual Framework. Social Research and Demonstration Corporation.
7 Myers, K., Smith Fowler, H., Leonard, D., and Gyarmati, D. (2010). Learning and Active Employment
Programs: Promising Approaches to Training in the United States and United Kingdom. Social Research
and Demonstration Corporation.
8 Palameta, B. and Gyarmati, D. (2010). Learning and Active Employment Programs: A Review of
Canadian Program Evaluations. Social Research and Demonstration Corporation.
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Innovative practices in international settings — A starting point
Findings from the international consultations completed as part of the LAEP project provide an initial
model for thinking about possible innovative practices in Canadian jurisdictions. Figure 1 highlights
five distinct innovative approaches to supporting skills development and labour market transitions for
lower skilled adults that were identified through consultations with practitioners and training
providers in the US and UK (Myers et al., 2010).
Background research and pre-interviews with provincial representatives completed in preparation for
the current project have confirmed the presence of at least some relevant features of these approaches
in Canada including sectoral, bridging programs, and some elements of pathways models. However, the
extent of their innovation in Canadian provinces, and the potential capacity for their full
implementation, is yet to be explored.
Figure 1 Five approaches to skills development for adults with low education and/or skills
Knowledge gaps related to CDS and SD programs
The LAEP study also provided a conceptual framework for thinking about some of the factors that
influence training outcomes, and ultimately, labour market transitions of unemployed adults with
lower skills. Furthermore, it identified a particular series of knowledge gaps within this framework,
where evidence about what works in CDS and training is lacking.
In this framework, individual outcomes of a training program would result from a dynamic interplay
between individual and structural forces. Individual factors include competencies (such as general
cognitive abilities and foundational skills), preferences (such as patience and risk aversion) and
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Social Research and Demonstration Corporation 11
personal circumstances (such as those arising from life course and family dynamics). Structural
factors are organized around economic influences (such as business cycles, and occupational skills
demand), the policy environment (such as employment insurance, financial aid), and the
institutional factors (such as the program design, delivery partnerships, and governance). The
interaction of these individual and structural factors creates either enabling or impeding conditions for
training and a successful labour market transition.
Knowledge gaps in these areas can be further explored in a Canadian context through the consultations
with provincial representatives and CDS and SD practitioners. Pre-interviews conducted in
participating provinces in preparation for the current project suggest that some factors may be of
particular relevance to Canadian jurisdictions and could benefit from further investigation. For
instance, individual factors related to competencies, notably the role of foundational skills, and of
certain life course circumstances among clients with multi-barriers, are important areas for further
investigation. How responsive CDS and SD programs are in different provinces to these kinds of needs
of lower skilled unemployed Canadians is an open question. Some jurisdictions may benefit from the
innovations of others in this respect.
Similarly, economic, policy, and institutional factors in the delivery of CDS and SD services likely play an
important role in determining the outcomes of clients, and in explaining differences across provinces.
For instance, beyond the obvious relevance of macroeconomic conditions, outcomes likely depend on
how responsive policies and programs are to the needs of local labour markets. Provinces can have
vastly different labour market conditions, with varying occupational demands, which can be targeted
differently by local institutions. Existing research emphasizes a strong role for both industry and local
employers in shaping the design and delivery of regional training programs (Myers et al., 2010). The
goal is to align services with the needs of the local labour market to ensure that skills obtained are for
in-demand occupations. Again, provinces can differ in how they implement services and achieve
alignment with local labour market needs — and can ultimately benefit from further knowledge
sharing in this respect.
1.2 Objectives
This report presents findings from consultations with Canadian provinces, CDS practitioners, and SD
providers. The purpose of the project is to investigate existing gaps in how the needs of lower skilled
unemployed Canadians are being met with respect to the delivery of CDS or SD services in participating
provinces. At the same time, we hope to elucidate particularly promising approaches that can be shared
across provinces, with the ultimate aim of proposing a set of options for future research projects that
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) may wish to pursue.
In this respect, the project has three broad objectives, which shaped the scope of the Canadian
consultations. Each has several possible areas for more focused inquiry:
Identify needs of unemployed lower skilled Canadians — What kinds of individual needs and
barriers should CDS and SD programs be seeking to address in order to effectively support positive
labour market transitions? Do many have literacy or foundational skills needs? Do many require unique
kinds of support for life course circumstances, notably, those with multiple barriers?
Career development services and skills development programs: Gaps, innovations, and opportunities
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Social Research and Demonstration Corporation 12
Identify promising approaches and effective practices in the Canadian context — What are some
of the promising approaches, designs, and delivery practices that are effectively meeting the needs of
lower-skilled unemployed Canadian adults? Are the innovations observed internationally also present
in Canadian jurisdictions, such as sectoral approaches, bridging programs, or pathways models?
Identify gaps and opportunities — Given the answers to the first two sets of questions, what are the
major gaps in the current process of providing CDS and SD services? Are client needs appropriately
assessed? Are clients suitably referred? Are CDS and SD services provided in ways that are fully
responsive to client needs with adequate supports? Are they equally responsive to needs of employers
and the labour market?
In these respects, what types of innovative options might HRSDC explore further?
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Social Research and Demonstration Corporation 13
2. Methodology
2.1 Field research — In-depth interviews and focus groups
SRDC conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews and focus groups with employment/career
counsellors, training providers and selected experts in three provinces between December 2010 and
February 2011. (Protocols for the focus groups and interviews are found in Appendices B and C,
respectively).Two SRDC researchers were present at each focus group and most interviews; generally,
one researcher facilitated the discussion and the other took detailed notes. Interviews typically lasted
between 30 and 60 minutes, and were conducted either face-to-face or by telephone. Focus group
sessions were two to three hours long. Participants were reimbursed all travel costs to and from the
focus groups.
2.2 Selection
Three provinces agreed to participate in the consultations: Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and British
Columbia. Within each province, SRDC sought to maximize diversity of provider type, clientele, and
geographic location. An effort was made in each province to select participants according to the criteria
shown below:
Has extensive experience providing either employment/career counselling services or delivering
training to unemployed Canadians, especially those with low education and/or skills;
Is involved with Skills Development, either as a case manager, through a counselling service that
provides assistance with training plan development; or as a training provider;
Offers a full range of services from assessment to training plan preparation, to labour market transition
services;
Offers services to a wide range of client types;
Offers programs that are funded from multiple funding streams (to allow us to compare employment
training services offered to EI clients versus services offered to other types of clients such as social
assistance recipients or individuals that are not attached to any government program).
The process of identifying CDS and training providers who met the selection criteria was slightly
different in each province. In Nova Scotia, researchers worked with the provincial representative from
the CDSWG. Invitations were sent to three networks of CDS service providers. Each network then
selected two to three providers to represent the group. From these providers, 17 individuals
participated in the focus groups, primarily those holding manager or career counsellor positions. Focus
groups were held in Halifax and Sydney, and participants represented services in most areas of the
mainland and Cape Breton Island. SRDC researchers also conducted three interviews with
four representatives from Nova Scotia’s largest public training provider as well as with one from a
private training institution.
In Manitoba, most CDS services are provided directly by the province through Employment Manitoba
(EMB). Consultation with EMB staff in all part of the province was a specific goal of the consultations in
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that province. As such, the CDSWG representative worked closely with EMB managers in each
administrative region (i.e., Winnipeg, the North, and rural region) to identify EMB staff who met the
selection criteria and invite them to the focus groups. Focus groups were held in Winnipeg, The Pas,
and Portage La Prairie. Participants included program managers, project officers, career counsellors
and employment assistance providers from 15 of the 17 EMB offices.
The CDSWG representative also worked with staff of the Manitoba Ministry of Entrepreneurship,
Training and Trade to identify and invite leaders and strategic thinkers among third-party CDS and
training providers to participate in the consultations. Individuals from three third-party CDS providers
and from three of the largest public training providers in Manitoba were interviewed. Three senior staff
members from EMB and Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade identified as experts in the field of CDS
were also interviewed.
In British Columbia, provincial representatives requested that SRDC take the lead in the invitation
process. Using a list provided by provincial representatives as a starting point, SRDC researchers
engaged with leaders in the field to identify providers with strong reputations for expertise, innovation
and strategic thinking. Invitations were directed to CEOs and executive directors. Focus groups were
held in New Westminster and Kelowna, with representation from Vancouver, Victoria, Burnaby, Hope,
Abbotsford, Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton and the East Kootenay. A total of 18 participants took part in
the focus groups, representing 12 service providers, one umbrella organization, and two colleges.
2.3 Data analysis
Our organizing framework for analyzing the data generated by the interviews and focus groups was
based on the broad topic areas used in the lines of questioning (i.e., learner or client needs, barriers to
learning and employment, gaps in training and CDS delivery, and promising practices). Drawing on the
extensive notes taken during each of the interviews and focus groups, these categories were used to
organize the main points from each discussion and generate a summary. This process usually took
place immediately after the discussion, and involved both researchers who had been present, to
optimize validity. When required, researchers verified the accuracy of the notes with the audio-
recordings.
In the same way, the summaries of all the interviews and focus groups held in each province were
analyzed together, and the key points and themes were identified in a provincial summary. All the
researchers then worked as a team to analyze provincial summaries and identify emerging themes
across provinces as well as key areas of divergence.
At this point in the analysis, it became clear that the fundamental features of the CDS process (i.e.,
intake and assessment, employment counselling, skills development and training, and labour market
transition) were evident in service delivery across all participating provinces, and that this process
would provide a useful, policy-relevant, over-arching framework in which to present the main findings
of the project. Consistent with the goals and scope of the research project, the final analysis focused on
identifying the key themes within each of these service elements in terms of, gaps in program design
and delivery and promising practices or innovative ideas.
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Since most of the data were derived from group discussions that involved a number of participants in
different roles (e.g., employment counsellors, project officers, centre managers), we were limited in our
ability to quantify certain opinions or themes with precision, or to analyze these by specific role type.
That said, we have generally distinguished the perspectives of training providers, CDS practitioners,
and key informants/experts. As is common in qualitative research, we have also tried to portray the
relative weight of a given theme using qualifiers such as “a few,” “several,” “many,” etc., and where
possible, to identify whether certain themes were evident in one or more provinces, and widely shared
or expressed by a few participants.
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3. Findings
The consultation findings are divided into three broad sections: first, we discuss the relevant policy
context related to the governance and delivery of CDS and training provision in each province. Second,
we describe our findings related to current gaps in the design and delivery of CDS and skills
development programs. Finally, we present a summary of promising program features that were
identified by program participants in all three provinces.
3.1 Context
Lead ministries
In Nova Scotia, responsibility for labour market and employment programs rests with Employment
Nova Scotia, a branch of the Department of Labour and Advanced Education. A labour market
agreement devolving responsibility for employment benefits and support measures (EBSM) from the
federal government to Nova Scotia was signed in 2008 and implemented in July 2009. Given this recent
devolution, CDS providers noted that much of the focus of activity over the past year and a half has
been on building administrative infrastructure, such as the government’s online system for managing
employment contracts.
In Manitoba, labour market and employment programs are the responsibility of Employment Manitoba,
a branch of the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade. Responsibility for employment
benefits and support measures (EBSM) was devolved from the federal government to Manitoba in
1998, making it one of the first provinces to undergo this transition. In addition to developing policy for
employment programs and supports, the department of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade is also
responsible for developing industry and trade policy. The department of Advanced Education and
Literacy is responsible for developing post-secondary education and adult learning policy (e.g., adult
literacy, Mature Student Diploma and GED).
In British Columbia, the Ministry of Social Development develops employment and labour market
services. This ministry is also responsible for the provision of income assistance, disability assistance
and the coordination of mental health and addiction services. Similar to Nova Scotia, the devolution of
labour market programs occurred recently, in 2008. The Ministry of Advanced Education is responsible
for the development of post-secondary education policy and employment training policy and programs,
including apprenticeship and industry training initiatives, training for special groups (e.g., Aboriginal
people, at-risk youth), workplace training, and training for occupations in strategic sectors (e.g., oil and
gas, health).
Service delivery
All three provinces offer career development services and programs that include the following features:
intake and assessment; employment assistance and job search services; labour market information;
career counselling; financial assistance for training/skills development programs; and labour market
transition services such as job placement programs.
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Skills development/training Career development programs
Labour market transition services
The way in which these services are provided and by whom can vary substantially both within and
across provinces. For example, some services can be self-directed (e.g., using on-line sources of labour
market information or a job bank without any staff assistance) or provided by CDS staff to varying
degrees of intensity, even on an itinerant basis, as in remote communities. Services can be provided by
staff of provincial employment offices (sometimes in Resource Centres co-located with Service Canada)
or contracted out to third-party non-profit or for-profit providers. Regardless, the fundamental
elements and the process or phases of CDA delivery remains fairly constant, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 2 Phases of the career development process
In Nova Scotia, career development services are entirely contracted out to third-party providers, with
Employment Nova Scotia serving as the contract manager and funding provider. Third party providers
offer a range of general services such as those identified above. Specialized services are available for
women, people with disabilities, Aboriginal people, and African Nova Scotians.
In terms of training, Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) is the sole public training provider in the
province, and provides the bulk of publicly funded skills development training. The college was created
in April 1996, with the purpose of centralizing administration, coordinating funding, and removing
program duplication. NSCC has 13 campuses across the province that offer a wide array of course
options and will also create courses to meet a specific local need. As an “Access Institution,” NSCC is
open to all students regardless of grade level; most campuses also offer CDS services to students and
the broader community. Some of NSCC’s more specialized training courses are also offered by private
training providers, such as for truck driving, computer programming, etc.
Intake, assessment & employment counseling
Self-directed services
Case Management
Supports
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In Manitoba, CDS are provided directly by Employment Manitoba as well as by non-profit, third-party
providers. Practitioners indicated that roughly 80 per cent of clients access CDS services through
Employment Manitoba directly, and 20 per cent access services through third-party providers. Training
in Manitoba is provided by three main public colleges, several smaller colleges and technical institutes,
a small number of private career colleges, and three universities.
In British Columbia, CDS are delivered by third-party contracted providers, with the Ministry of Social
Development serving as the funding provider and contract manager for providers of services falling
under the federal-provincial labour market agreement. Training is provided by BC’s 25 publicly funded
post-secondary institutions: 11 universities, 11 colleges, and three institutes offering a variety of
specialized programs. There are currently 17 private and out-of-province public institutions offering
degree programs in B.C. Provincial legislation requires that private and out-of-province public
institutions must be authorized by the province to deliver degree programs. There are also more than
400 private career training institutions in BC. Private career training institutions are self-regulated
under the Private Career Training Institutions Act.
Recent major policy or program changes
Manitoba
In addition to the length of time since devolution, there are a few noteworthy changes to CDS policy or
programs that have been recently implemented or are currently underway in the provinces we
consulted. The first is the recent (2009) implementation of Manitoba’s Career Development Strategy, a
policy framework spanning several departments, including Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade;
Education; Advanced Education and Literacy; Justice; Labour and Immigration; Family Services and
Consumer Affairs; Healthy Living, Youth, and Seniors; and Civil Service Commission. The goal of the
strategy is to facilitate and coordinate the development and maintenance of an effective, coherent, and
comprehensive set of programs and services that support labour market needs and lifelong learning.
The strategy calls for multi-departmental coordination, stakeholder consultation, and alignment with
and enhancement of existing government strategies that include a career development component.
The set of career development programs delivered through educational institutions, community
organizations and employers in Manitoba aims to enhance workforce development, promote
entrepreneurship and self-employment as viable employment options, support individual work and life
goals, and use exemplary practices or pilot projects. During consultations, practitioners highlighted
specific aspects of this strategy, including initiatives to build awareness and promote engagement in
intentional career planning at the individual and employer level; the Career Development Gateway,
which provides single-window access to career development resources and information on career
development programs and services; Manitoba Career Week; the Standards and Guidelines for Career
Development Practitioners; and the development of a Career Practitioner Certificate through the
Canadian Career Development Foundation and the University of Winnipeg.
The second noteworthy change — also in Manitoba — was the decision in 2006 to allow people who
were considered underemployed to quit their jobs in order access Skills Development training and
other supports that had previously been restricted to those who were unemployed. According to
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several Employment Manitoba staff members, this decision to allow “authorized quits” had a huge
impact on service delivery, dramatically increasing the demand for services and shifting the clientele to
low-income earners/the working poor (compared to the unemployed).9
British Columbia
The third noteworthy change is in British Columbia, where the government is currently redesigning its
employment programs. More than a shift in policy orientation, this restructuring is expected to result in
major changes to the provision of CDS in that province. The new Employment Program, to be launched
on April 1, 2011, will feature a one-stop model for all BC residents who are eligible to work in Canada
and seeking employment. The program will offer a range of integrated employment and labour market
supports and services. All of the services provided within the existing employment programs will be
delivered through the Employment Program of British Columbia by way of Employment Services
Centres (ESCs).
To take into account the variation in costs to deliver employment services to clients with differing
needs and levels of readiness, the BC Ministry of Social Development has developed an approach to
grouping clients by tiers based on assessed readiness for employment. General services (e.g., self-serve
services, case management, and community and employer linkages) will be provided at the ESCs, with
exceptions for specialized populations who may need alternative means of accessing services.
Contractors are to leverage existing infrastructure, resources and service providers within the
community in order to provide the full range of services. Contractors are encouraged to partner and
form a network of service providers to achieve this.
Nova Scotia
As in British Columbia, CDS providers in Nova Scotia were reacting to a recent decision to reduce
funding for CDS services in that province right at the time our consultations took place. This almost
certainly heightened the general sense of frustration among CDS practitioners about the challenges
they faced providing appropriate levels of service to clients. Nevertheless, we heard much less about
requiring increased resources than about having more flexibility to do this effectively, as will be
described in subsequent sections.
Labour market contexts
Virtually all the CDS practitioners we consulted made reference to the increased demand for their
services and the challenges of helping clients achieve successful employment outcomes in the context
of the recent recession and current economic downturn. Fewer jobs, increased unemployment, out-
migration, and fierce competition for available job openings were common themes in this respect, both
at a provincial level and within more local labour markets. As one might expect, each of the three
provinces has significant regional diversity in their labour markets. During consultations, differences
were identified in all provinces between urban and outlying or rural areas, especially in relation to the
9 Authorized quits have since been disallowed in Manitoba, in January 2011.
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number of job opportunities available and the disproportionate impact of plant and business closures.
In addition to these general challenges, participants described those which were more specific to their
particular province and/or region below.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia, for example, has the fourth highest unemployment rate in the country (approximately
nine per cent), though it is lower than in previous decades as the province moves away from seasonal
industries. In particular, Nova Scotia has seen significant sector-wide losses in fishing and mining, as
well as localized contractions in the forestry and oil and gas industries. In general, agriculture,
manufacturing, utilities, and services have been growth sectors; participants particularly noted
tourism, education, health care, and government as providing the most opportunities for clients, though
this varied regionally — providers in some communities indicated a saturation of the market for health
care aid jobs, for instance, despite the continued popularity of these jobs among the EAS clientele. In the
Sydney focus group, call centres were identified as the only option in some communities for people
with low levels of literacy or education. The trucking sector was noted by one training provider to still
have high demand, but gaps persist because of decreased interest in the profession from prospective
learners (especially young people), due to the demanding lifestyle.
During consultations in Nova Scotia, we also heard that in some outlying areas, available jobs tend to be
either low-paying or highly specialized (e.g., in oil and gas companies), so that even people with
postsecondary education qualifications are experiencing difficulty securing employment. A number of
EAS providers, especially those from Cape Breton and outlying communities, also indicated that their
areas were experiencing significant outmigration to Halifax and to the western provinces (i.e., Alberta
and Saskatchewan), especially by those in skilled trades and trucking. Out-migration of younger skilled
workers is a particular concern given the rapidly increasing proportion of seniors in the population.
Nova Scotia also has the highest rate of disability in Canada (approximately 20 per cent).
Manitoba
In the past few years, Manitoba has experienced steady economic growth and low unemployment; as of
March 2011, the unemployment rate was five and a half per cent, the second lowest in the country. As
one key informant told us, the province as a whole has a diversified economy (based on agriculture,
resource industries, and government), which has helped shield it from the full impacts of the economic
downturn. However, certain industries such as mining, forestry, and manufacturing have been affected
(e.g., by weak commodity prices and/or reduced demands for products and services), resulting in some
companies cutting back on production or downsizing. While the subsequent layoffs occurred in
Winnipeg as well as in rural and northern Manitoba, those communities outside the provincial capital
have felt a disproportionate impact, since many are dependent upon one or two major employers or
sectors. As many participants told us, while the provincial economy and that of Winnipeg may itself be
diversified, this is not true of local labour markets, which can be vulnerable to rapid changes.
The specificity of specific labour markets also means that the population of certain communities — and
consequently, the clientele of CDS services — can vary quite a lot from one location to another, Our
consultations in Manitoba revealed a number of instances in which industries or employers had
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targeted recruitment to specific groups such as immigrants and Aboriginal people, sometimes in
collaboration with government agencies. With the largest population of Aboriginal people in Canada,
meeting the needs of this clientele — whether through general CDS services or specific community
development projects — was often discussed during consultations in Manitoba.
British Columbia
In British Columbia, nearly 80 per cent of jobs are located in the Lower Mainland (61 per cent) and
Vancouver Island (17 per cent) areas. About 11 per cent work in Thompson/Okanagan—the region
around Kamloops, Kelowna and Penticton. Cariboo, Kootenay, North Coast & Nechako, and Northeast
each employ a relatively small percentage of the province’s workers (11 per cent). Clients made note of
this regional variation in job opportunities and reported that it was an issue for the development of
rural and northern regions, which were experiencing outmigration among skilled youth seeking
employment in the Lower Mainland.
Until recently, BC’s unemployment rate was on a downward trajectory, as the labour market
experienced a long period of steady growth. The unemployment rate fell to a 30-year low of 4 per cent
in March 2007, and the average for the year was a mere 4.2 per cent. The unemployment rate began to
increase in 2008, and reached 8.3 per cent by October 2009.10 At the time of consultation
(February 2011), the unemployment rate in BC was 8.8 per cent.11 BC has the highest unemployment
rate of the western provinces.
Workers in goods-producing industries face a significantly higher likelihood of being unemployed than
those with jobs in the service sector. This is especially true during economic downturns, since goods-
producing industries tend to cut back on their production when markets are weak.12 Workers in
forestry, logging, fishing, hunting, and trapping are more likely to be unemployed than are other BC
workers. As a result of the recent downturn, the unemployment rate has been rising in some
manufacturing industries as well.13
The northern and interior regions of the province, where many of the mineral and forest resources are
located, are most reliant on goods production as a source of employment.14 Providers in these areas
reported that the reliance of communities on these sectors made workers increasingly vulnerable to
high levels of unemployment.
10 Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development and BC Stats, A Guide to the BC
Economy and Labour Market, 2010. http://www.guidetobceconomy.org/Library/GTBCE_2010.pdf.
11 BC Stats, Labour Force Statistics February 2011, 2011.
http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/pubs/lfs/lfs1102.pdf.
12 Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development and BC Stats, A Guide to the BC
Economy and Labour Market, 2010. http://www.guidetobceconomy.org/Library/GTBCE_2010.pdf.
13 Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development and BC Stats, A Guide to the BC
Economy and Labour Market, 2010. http://www.guidetobceconomy.org/Library/GTBCE_2010.pdf.
14 Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development and BC Stats, A Guide to the BC
Economy and Labour Market, 2010. http://www.guidetobceconomy.org/Library/GTBCE_2010.pdf.
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Clients
The above mentioned characteristics of the provincial and local labour markets have implications for
the clientele of CDS services in the three provinces we visited. Depending on their location, for example,
some employment resource centres (and training providers) serve a much higher proportion of
immigrants, often a specific sub-group of immigrants from one country or region. Those in large urban
centres generally serve a more diverse clientele, though this also often includes larger numbers of
people who are homeless or chronically unemployed, than would be seen in smaller or more rural
centres.
There were also some provincial differences in CDS clientele, though these no doubt reflected the
perspectives of consultation participants than any actual population differences. In Nova Scotia, for
instance, we heard much more than in the other two provinces about older workers with low levels of
education and essential skills who had been displaced from fishing and mining and now had few
opportunities. We also heard more about the needs of youth, African Nova Scotians, and people with
disabilities, since we consulted with CDS providers who provided specialized services to these
populations. In Manitoba, participants described the clientele of each resource centre as being quite
specific to the population of the local community; the common element was the generally high
proportion of Aboriginal clients.
In British Columbia, all providers reported serving a mixed client population in terms of demographics
and service needs (except for one provider that served immigrants only). This is likely due in part to
the fact that we aimed to consult mainly with providers that served a broad range of clients and
provided a broad range of services (not specialized services). Providers located in rural areas tended to
emphasize issues with displaced workers from the goods producing sector, which is not surprising
given the fact that declining industries in the goods sector are concentrated in rural areas. They also
highlighted issues related to the outmigration of skilled youth in these areas, which is also not
unexpected since most jobs in BC are located in the lower mainland.
In general, however, focus group participants in all three provinces stated that they are serving a wider
range of clients compared to previous years. This was attributed to both the general downturn in the
economy, as well as to specific labour market changes such as out-migration. According to CDS
practitioners, while many clients are generally able to use basic services independently, substantial
numbers are deemed to have multiple barriers to employment and require more intensive services. A
common theme reported across the three provinces is that the needs of multi-barriered clients can be
quite complex, with clients facing multifaceted problems that often include a combination of skills gaps,
structural barriers (e.g., racism, poverty), life circumstances (e.g., age, family responsibilities),
disabilities, and other, non-cognitive barriers. Groups of clients that practitioners identified as facing
multiple barriers include:
Long-tenured, displaced workers with education at the high school level or less who need to change
careers or industries but lack the skills, knowledge, experience and/or credentials;
Long-tenured immigrant workers who are displaced and who are in need of a career change, but who
lack official language skills (since oral communication was not a main requirement of their old job), as
well as essential skills and new technical skills;
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Recent immigrants who are highly educated but lack official language skills, soft skills (i.e., familiarity
with Canadian culture), and Canadian work experience, and whose credentials are not recognized by
Canadian employers;
Youth at risk who need academic upgrading (e.g., to obtain secondary credentials), technical training,
and essential skills training to improve employability. Many of these also have low levels of financial
literacy and/or may be in debt;
Aboriginal people who may face a variety of structural barriers including the inter-generational effects
of residential schools, and who require culturally appropriate services and supports;
Victims of violence or abuse who need significant emotional and practical supports (e.g., affordable
housing, legal services, and counselling);
Clients with mental health issues, including addiction problems;
Clients with disabilities (including physical, mental or learning disabilities) who may require
specialized assessment of their needs, as well as accommodations or other supports to obtain and
retain employment;
Clients with a criminal record. Among the many implications for employment for this group is the fact
that that they are unable to obtain insurance (e.g., for cross-border truck driving), or be bonded, a
requirement for many jobs in retail, security, etc.;
Long-term social assistance recipients who face a variety of challenges persisting in career counselling,
skills development and the pursuit of employment, including discrimination.
The complexity of needs and barriers faced by these clients groups has a number of implications for
effective delivery of CDS services, particularly in terms of resources. These implications are outlined in
more detail in the next section, particularly under Intake and Assessment, below.
3.2 Perceived gaps in CDS and skills development
Practitioners in all three provinces identified significant gaps in all phases of the CDS process and SD
programs. While some of the gaps identified were specific to each province or a specific region, in
general we found considerable agreement about core gaps in programs and services for unemployed
Canadians. Given the research objective of identifying promising areas for further research, we focus
primarily on gaps that were identified by at least a significant proportion of practitioners. While some
gaps cut across the entire process, most of the gaps are associated with a particular phase of the CDS
process or SD program. The following is a summary of major gaps identified.
Intake and assessment
CDS practitioners in all three provinces emphasized the importance of assessment in the career
development process as a key element for ensuring a proper “fit” between clients’ needs and the
services and supports for which they are eligible. However, practitioners reported that the assessment
tools in current use may be inaccurate predictors of employment readiness, narrow in focus, rigid in
their application, and inappropriate for certain client groups. Moreover, practitioners indicated that
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even if assessment tools were optimal, the range of training and support options is increasingly limited.
Eligibility rules can be rigid and complex, and program objectives are often narrow and short-sighted.
As a result, many clients have difficulty accessing appropriate services and supports that can meet their
individual and often complex needs. Some practitioners also reported that with changing clientele, their
roles as service providers have become increasingly complex, and they lack the training or resources to
fulfill their responsibilities effectively. We describe these gaps in further detail below.
Lack of evidence-based practice
During consultations, key informant experts, CDS practitioners, and training providers all underscored
the importance of employability assessment as being “fundamental” to effective employment/career
counselling — “like the foundation of a house” — and especially to ensuring that training and support
options are appropriate to client needs. However, practitioners also asserted that there is a striking
lack of knowledge or evidence about which assessment processes, practices, and tools work best for
which clients. Literacy and essential skills (LES) assessment is perceived to be of particular importance
since it has implications for all subsequent stages of CDS: counselling, training, and employment
transitions. But even for these foundational skills, there is no clear consensus on the ability of current
tools to determine learner readiness.
No clear line of responsibility
Despite agreement on the importance of LES assessment, there also appears to be no clear line of
responsibility for this element among CDS or training providers in any province. This has resulted in a
patchwork of LES assessment processes with many clients receiving no LES assessment at all prior to
training or employment. Some clients are only assessed if the training provider suspects a skills gap in
light of client difficulty during training. As a result, we heard that some training providers are
increasingly drawn to conducting their own ad hoc LES assessments as a way of supporting student
success, particularly where a high school diploma or GED is viewed as an unreliable indicator of skill
level.
Narrow assessment criteria
Many CDS practitioners indicated they are often constrained in their approach to assessing
employability, and specifically, that their current assessments do not adequately assess the myriad of
factors that can affect clients’ interest in career and skills development, and their ability to obtain and
retain employment. These factors can include both personal and systemic challenges a client may be
facing, as well as their confidence, motivation and capabilities to address these challenges. For instance,
some practitioners expressed a need for assessments that do a better job at assessing the psychological
factors of learning, such as client’s intentions, motivation, and expectations; learning styles; ability to
set and achieve goals; and the ability to reflect on oneself and one’s learning.
Similarly, practitioners expressed a need to go beyond a narrow definition of employability to explore
issues in other life domains that may significantly affect employability, such as mental health and
addictions problems, as well as more structural issues such as poverty, racism, disability, etc. These
issues were seen as highly relevant to employability assessment. Even though interventions to address
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such barriers are beyond the scope of CDS delivery, practitioners said this more comprehensive and
holistic approach to assessment could help them rationalize arrangements with other community
service providers to deliver wrap-around supports. This in turn was seen as potentially helping to
address situations in which practitioners felt pressured to refer clients to employment who were not
yet “job-ready,” thereby increasing the likelihood of employment failure for the client and damaging
relations with the employer.
Assessment tools not appropriate for some groups
Several CDS practitioners and training providers — especially in Manitoba and British Columbia —
reported that current assessment tools are not culturally appropriate for specific client groups such as
Aboriginal people and immigrants. Similarly, CDS practitioners in all provinces remarked that many
tools are not amenable for use with clients with low literacy levels or with language barriers. For
instance, some clients with multiple and complex needs require longer, more in-depth assessment than
that usually provided in CDS. Clients with lower levels of literacy and essential skills in particular may
find current assessment tools too language-based and therefore intimidating or impossible to complete
without assistance, and so opt out of the process. Other clients who have had negative experiences with
formal learning may not respond well to formal assessment. Still others may find these tools are not
culturally appropriate and therefore find that their skills, experience, and prior learning are not
adequately assessed.
CDS practitioners in all provinces stated that there is a need to use informal and less obtrusive
assessment techniques for these groups. For clients who may have literacy or essential skills barriers,
practitioners cited examples of ways that they tailor assessments such as completing the assessment
orally with the client, or administering a shorter version of the instrument (other approaches are
described under promising practices). However, a few practitioners reported that it can be difficult to
identify LES gaps at intake, so clients are sometimes left to disclose these gaps themselves, if in fact,
they are even aware of them. Moreover, while alternative and more appropriate assessment tools might
be available, these can present considerable financial or logistical challenges, including licensing fees or
test locations located in urban centres only.
Lack of access to specialized assessment
A less prevalent but important theme concerned problems accessing specialized psycho-educational
assessment. Several CDS practitioners in Nova Scotia — both those serving the general public and those
serving specialized groups — as well as in Manitoba said they regularly encountered clients who
appeared to have an underlying condition (e.g., a learning disability) that affected that person’s ability
to learn or work, and subsequently, to stay employed. However, high cost (in some areas, as much as
$2,000) and lengthy wait times for professional psycho-educational assessment meant that they were
only able to refer a small portion of clients in need. One CDS provider in Nova Scotia remarked that her
budget only permitted about ten of these assessments per year, but that she could easily refer many
times that number.
By implication, this lack of access meant that neither the clients nor their service providers had the
information they needed to understand and address the clients’ needs appropriately. Moreover, since a
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diagnosis of disability is often required to obtain special supports and services (including aids and
accommodations in the workplace or at school), clients were blocked from obtaining the supports for
which they might be eligible and which could enhance their employability.
Career development services
There was general agreement among all CDS practitioners that the career counselling process is
critically important for working with clients to map out career pathways that are appropriate to clients’
interests, goals, skills and capabilities. However, consultations revealed challenges related to the
emphasis and scope of the career counselling component in their work, relevant training, and the
increasing demand for more comprehensive career development services than the system currently
allows. A need for more service delivery options to meet client needs was also identified. The sections
below describe the gaps in further depth.
CDS funding is not keeping pace with demand
CDS practitioners in all three provinces reported that in the context of a rapidly changing labour market
where individuals increasingly need to upgrade their skills and/or change career paths, a greater
proportion of clients require career guidance and assistance. Moreover, the economic downturn and
labour market adjustments are perceived to have resulted in many displaced workers with lower levels
of literacy and essential skills whose employment opportunities are now much reduced. Together with
program changes that extend eligibility for some services to specialized client groups (e.g., clients on
social assistance, the under-employed, immigrants, etc.), practitioners report that a growing proportion
of clients require more intensive case management and counselling than there is the time and
resources to provide.
According to most CDS practitioners, funding models have not kept pace with these changes and in
many jurisdictions are, in fact, moving in the opposite direction by restricting funding for employment
assistance and career development services. These constraints, along with increased demand for
services from the above-mentioned client groups have meant that, according to some practitioners,
some elements of service delivery have been compromised. In some cases, this has meant a diminished
focus on client follow-up; in others, considerable delays for clients to access employment counselling,
with some clients waiting between four to six weeks before their first appointment with a counsellor.
Several practitioners in one focus group said they suspected that some clients in need of employment
counselling were not being referred at all, given the high demand and delays they were experiencing at
the time.
Scope of services is often broad and complex
A related issue identified by all CDS practitioners is that the scope of the assessment and employment
counselling process has broadened and become more complex in conjunction with the changes in
clientele. Practitioners described having to adopt different roles when assisting clients to meet different
needs; as more clients presented with multiple and complex needs, several practitioners felt their role
was shifting away from determining eligibility and managing program funds, towards more intensive
employment counselling. This was particularly true in Manitoba, where social assistance recipients and
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low-income earners had recently become eligible for support. As one career counsellor there said, “Now
we’re being asked to be social workers.”
Not everyone made the distinction between employment counselling and interviewing clients to
determine eligibility for funding, and not everyone was uncomfortable having more emphasis on
counselling; in fact, several practitioners and key informant experts indicated that it was important to
get back to these “basics.” As one key informant put it, “There needs to be a more consistent approach to
employment counselling, and working as a guide through the career decision-making process,” both
within her province and among provinces too. Other practitioners welcomed a broader role; a couple of
practitioners were eager to find ways to meet emerging needs, such as providing budgeting workshops
to enhance clients’ financial literacy.
The problem is that regardless of their opinions on the issue, many practitioners indicated they did not
feel equipped to do more intensive counselling effectively, either because they lacked the training and
experience, or the time and resources. CDS Practitioners also told us that it was difficult for them to
maintain an awareness of current and future labour market needs, stay up to speed on educational
opportunities, while acting as a motivational coach and financial manager at the same time.
Mismatch between needs and program options
A common theme across the provinces was a general concern with the eligibility requirements of CDS
services and supports. Both CDS practitioners and training providers perceived them as highly complex
and rigid, causing a mismatch between client needs and the services and supports to which they may
have access. Because program objectives tend to be narrowly defined, clients are often referred to
options based on factors other than need:
Eligibility — What clients are eligible for often depends on the particular funding stream through which
they entered the system (e.g., EI, Social Assistance, and other targeted initiatives). This creates
significant gaps, such as non-EI-eligible clients not being able to participate in programs from which
they could benefit. CDS practitioners reported that clients were frustrated; “…they don’t see how they’re
any different than the previous client who came in,” yet because of their particular circumstances or
demographic characteristics, they cannot access a similar program or service. A few training providers
echoed this view, saying that learners were equally confused and frustrated when they learned that
other students received different supports. In addition, inconsistencies in processes for community
service referrals across and even within employment service sites was also noted, which practitioners
attributed in part to the complexity of the eligibility rules.
Availability — Because program frameworks tend to focus on the funding stream through which clients
enter the system rather than on client needs, the availability of programs in the community may not
match local needs. What is available appears to be somewhat arbitrary and often depends significantly
on where clients happen to live. This was cited as an issue particularly in rural and northern areas.
Since CDS services are funded per client, rural and northern areas with smaller populations receive less
funding to allow for the economies of scale required to support infrastructure and operations required
to adequately serve clients. Practitioners also cited instances of program cancellations in these areas
because they could not recruit the prescribed critical mass of participants. In some cases, enough
clients were interested in participating but by the time the programs were approved (often several
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months later) clients had already moved on (usually to low-wage employment) and were no longer
available or eligible to participate. Moreover, practitioners report that the funds available for each
client are often not enough to address the unique barriers of clients in these areas, such as the need to
travel greater distances between services and employment, and the expense or lack of public transit.
Objectives — We heard from many CDS practitioners and training providers in all provinces that
performance frameworks are biased toward short-term employment objectives versus career
development and learning. The funding formula for CDS is such that employment centres are rewarded
for getting clients on the shortest route to employment. Learning on the job can be effective for people
with lower levels of literacy and essential skills who have neither the inclination or financial means to
follow a traditional pathway of academic upgrading combined with vocational training and
employability skills development. However, it is important to ensure these clients are not directed into
low-wage, dead-end jobs simply because that is the easiest path. Moreover, a focus on employment at
the expense of skills and career development may not allow sufficient time to fully assess and address
clients’ various barriers, which may in turn result in them cycling back into the system after
experiencing failure in the labour market.
Lack of specific program options
CDS practitioners also identified a lack of a comprehensive set of career planning options to meet a
range of client needs including:
Up-to-date information on labour markets and training options — Practitioners reported a lack of
options to help guide individuals who are seeking to explore career options in the context of what jobs
are in demand in the local labour market and the educational pathways available to obtaining these
jobs. Many practitioners reported a gap in the quality of labour market information available to the
employment counsellors, hindering their ability to provide sound advice to clients. In one province, in-
demand occupations are determined by regionally-based networks, annual business/strategic
planning. While some information is available through federal labour market bulletins, clients and
employment counsellors in this province must do their own labour market research to justify training
requests. Some practitioners reported difficulty in understanding and keeping track of the myriad of
highly targeted options, such as the federally-funded Tuition Assistance Program for forestry workers
experiencing a temporary lay-off of three months or more.
Options for clients with Essential Skills gaps — Standard career exploration processes (e.g.,
navigating LMI; assessing personal interests, strengths, and weaknesses; and developing skills
inventories) were reported to be especially difficult for clients with Essential Skills gaps as they assume
a certain degree of self-direction on the part of the client and an ability to navigate and synthesize
complex information. As such, CDS practitioners indicated a need for more career development services
options that accommodate the needs of individuals with various Essential Skills gaps.
Options that build on transferable skills — Practitioners identified a lack of options that use an
Essential Skills approach to help clients identify existing skills that are transferable to new careers, and
that can identify strategies to close gaps in areas where weaknesses are identified. While some
programs like this currently exist, they do not appear to be in not common practice.
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Intensive options for multi-barriered clients — Many practitioners expressed the strong opinion
that there is a lack of appropriate interventions for clients with multiple barriers, such as long-term
social assistance recipients and clients with mental health issues. In particular, there are reported to be
few options available to help clients who are neither “job-ready” nor ready for a major life change, at
least not without intensive supports. Practitioners highlighted that clients are at different stages of
employment readiness and therefore require different services and supports to help them address
personal and structural challenges.
Special client groups — Practitioners identified a number of gaps in terms of the appropriateness of
CDS options for specific client groups. For instance, some practitioners identified the need for more
peer-assisted models of CDS with people with disabilities and Aboriginal clients. Similarly, a
collaborative, community-development approach was seen as having been particularly effective in First
Nations communities. A number of practitioners also perceived a gap in services and supports for
youth. For instance, some practitioners reported a lack of services and supports that are customized to
at-risk youth with a variety of barriers such as financial barriers, family responsibilities, or previous
contact with the justice system.
Lack of supports
A common theme across provinces was an identified lack of comprehensive supports to enable clients
to overcome barriers and participate in CDS options, including child care and transportation subsidies,
as well as longer-term supports for clients with multiple barriers. Some clients need short-term or one-
time supports for workplace materials or emergency childcare support, but there are few means of
meeting these needs. In general, practitioners also reported that non-EI clients are often not eligible for
any such supports at all.
Lack of flexible delivery options
Finally, several CDS practitioners reported gaps in the way programs and services are delivered. The
key message was that one delivery mode will not suit all; some clients will respond best in a group
setting while other clients would benefit from Web-based options. Some clients can serve themselves
with minimal guidance, while many others would be best served by participating in sequential
activities guided by a trained practitioner.
Skills development
Gaps in the skills development/training phase of the CDS process centred around the general lack of
client access to timely and sufficient training funds; the questionable quality, flexibility, and availability
of training options; the gap between career development services and adult education; and the lack of
clear pathways between the myriad adult education options. These gaps are described further below.
Disconnect between adult education and career development services
The gap between career development services and training programs was a common theme among CDS
practitioners and training providers in all provinces. Various forms of adult education — including
adult basic skills, upgrading, and diploma programs — are often disconnected from employment
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services, which can make it difficult for practitioners to know where to refer clients or if in fact the
services even exist in their community.
Lack of high quality short-term programs
Many CDS practitioners also reported a lack of access to high quality, short-term programs that are
tailored to individual skills gaps and the needs of local employers. Currently, short-term programs are
often perceived to be of low quality that put clients on “pathways to nowhere,” and are often not eligible
for supports. For clients with multiple barriers, such as low levels of literacy and essential skills and
technical skills, short interventions (e.g., five months or less) are perceived by funding providers to be
generally ineffective in that skills gains are often less than expected and clients are not often
employment ready upon completion.
On the other hand, some CDS practitioners reported that short-term interventions may be useful for
specific client groups seeking employment in certain industries. Practitioners reported a lack of timely
access to particular types of short-term and “micro” courses, such as very short certification courses
(e.g., food handler certificate, First Aid courses), software training courses, and customized training
courses for skilled tradespersons. Lack of access may occur either because the client was not eligible, or
the course was not approved by the funding provider in a timely fashion. This was seen by practitioners
as problematic because at times, these short programs and courses may be all that is required in order
for the client to obtain employment or participate in further training, or they may be part of a client’s
longer-term career development plan.
Lack of flexible training pathways
Some CDS practitioners and training providers in each province reported a lack of flexibility in training
systems to accommodate adult audiences who must manage competing priorities of education,
employment, and family responsibilities. Current training systems tend to isolate skills upgrading
programs from formal college diploma or certification programs, which can make it difficult for
students to progress to the next higher level of education, and costly in terms of lost wages and tuition
costs. While there are exceptions, training provision also tends to still be delivered in a traditional
fashion in terms of course timelines/duration and class hours, making it difficult for adults to combine
work and school and/or enter, exit and re-enter their program as family and work responsibilities
allow.
Gap between eligibility requirements and local availability
Many CDS practitioners and training providers in all three provinces perceived a mismatch between
available local training programs and prescribed Skills Development funding criteria (e.g., minimum
number of weeks; maximum training dollar amounts). For instance, some CDS practitioners reported
difficulty in getting approvals in time to get the minimum number of people to run a training
intervention in more rural areas, which resulted in delays and in some instances, training cancellations.
Key informant experts, too, decried the fact that decisions about funding training plans are often made
by those who are quite removed from the community context and not knowledgeable about client and
community needs. According to training providers, delays in training approvals can also mean that
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clients do not end up registering for training, or that they drop out because they cannot make tuition
payments; those who continue in their program without knowing if their training has been approved
must deal with debilitating stress.
Some CDS practitioners also reported local disparities in access to training funds for short-term
programs. In one province, providers in some areas appear to have the flexibility to approve “micro”
courses while this is not the case in other areas; other provinces did not have this flexibility at all.
Practitioners perceived this as a gap in providers’ ability to assist clients in a manner commensurate
with client needs.
Quality assurance and relevance
A particularly troubling finding from our consultations in all three provinces relates to reports of
questionable training from both public and private sector training providers. Several CDS practitioners
and key informant experts noted instances in which training providers had offered training credentials
or certificates that were not recognized by employers in the industry — either they were missing
important elements of the recognized certification or were for non-existent occupations. A couple of
practitioners noted examples of learners with disabilities who had been awarded “certificates of
completion” following two years of training, but only afterward did the learners realize this was not
equivalent to a credential or qualification recognized by employers. According to one provider, these
graduates “don’t have the skills that the employers are asking for but the system pushes them through.” A
related issue reported to us was that some clients were participating in distance learning for academic
upgrading by non-accredited schools.
In two provinces, some training providers and CDS practitioners also expressed concern about an
increase in sub-standard training programs, particularly those that lack linkages with industry to
ensure relevant curriculum, and in which curriculum is delivered by instructors with insufficient
experience in the field. This was linked to other concerns expressed by CDS practitioners and key
informant experts about training that was not seen to be relevant to community needs, such as training
in low-demand or saturated occupations.
Training supports
With respect to training supports, both CDS and training providers reported gaps in terms of eligibility
and in the approval process. Both groups reported that the funding cap and maximum training period
allowed under Skills Development does not cover the actual amount of time and expense it typically
takes to complete the sequence of training activities required to train for new occupations (i.e.,
LES/upgrading followed by technical/occupational training). This may require clients to take on a
greater share of the financial burden in order to complete their training. While a couple of practitioners
said they believed that having the learner commit financially to his or her training generally resulted in
better outcomes, most felt the learner contribution should be nominal and in keeping with clients’
financial circumstances. However, several providers reported that even a nominal contribution could
be problematic for clients with poor credit histories and/or low financial literacy who may be more
likely to assume loans or other forms of personal credit, creating unsustainable financial situations.
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Moreover, non-EI clients are often not eligible for any financial supports to training. The result,
according to practitioners, may be an increasing disparity between clients who are easier to serve and
clients with greater needs, since the easy-to-serve can fund their own training and subsequently move
into employment, while the clients who have needs but are ineligible for supports must fund their own
training. This deters participation in CDS and training among clients with greater needs, and can result
in these clients becoming particularly hard to serve.
Labour market transition
Lack of connection to employers
A major theme across all three provinces was the notion that program rules make it difficult for CDS
practitioners to meaningfully engage with employers. Program rules often state that CDS providers are
not able to provide services to employers; however, many practitioners reported that they would be
able to improve client outcomes if they were able to forge stronger connections with employers.
Practitioners saw a need for more connections with employers in order to better identify current and
upcoming employment opportunities; increase employer awareness about programs such as wage
subsidy programs; promote the benefits of hiring CDS clients; educate employers on promising
recruitment practices for hiring individuals with Essential Skills gaps; and how to effectively address
the needs of employees with various barriers.
The restriction against providing services to employers was identified as leading to missed
opportunities to engage employers and leverage job opportunities. This was reported to be particularly
the case in small communities, where CDS providers are “the ones [employers] go to.” Practitioners also
reported that employer involvement in strategies and programs targeting individuals with barriers has
been negatively affected by a lack of awareness of the programs (e.g., Targeted Wage Subsidy) and by
the perception among employers of a heavy “bureaucratic load” associated with participation.
Lack of work experience
Another gap identified by CDS practitioners is that most programs allow either skills development or
work experience but not both. This was a concern to providers because many clients are changing
industries, but do not have contacts and networks in the new industry that would facilitate the job
search process. While newer approaches such as mentorships and networking may be useful, these
approaches were not seen to be accommodated in current funding models.
Lack of retention supports
Finally, CDS practitioners in all provinces identified a lack of supports to help newly re-employed
individuals stay employed and continue to build skills that increase resiliency in the labour market.
Providers reported a two-fold need: 1) to support recently employed clients with certain barriers such
as mental health needs or cultural barriers, and 2) to educate and support employers on how best to
support employees with particular needs. Practitioners gave examples of instances when employers
would report to the CDS provider with concerns about the client they had hired, or when an immigrant
client left employment because the employer demonstrated cultural insensitivity. Practitioners
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perceived a need to provide services and supports to employers so that they can better accommodate
the needs of CDS clients with a variety of barriers such as skills gaps, mental health issues, disability, or
cultural differences.
3.3 Promising practices and approaches
During consultations, we heard about numerous approaches, tools, practices, and programs that
participants believed would improve employment outcomes for clients. Some of the approaches were
emerging practices, while others were tools and programs currently in practice in a specific context but
which could be developed, extended, or adapted for wider audiences. Others still were ideas from other
jurisdictions. Rather than provide an exhaustive list of practices, we present the key themes and
common features among the suggested approaches. This list of features of promising approaches
identified by Canadian CDS practitioners and training providers can be compared with the list of
features identified in the international consultations conducted in 2010. The list can also be used to
prioritize options for further research.
Intake and assessment
CDS practitioners in all three provinces stated that the most promising approaches conceptualized
assessment as a process rather than a tool. To be effective, practitioners reported that they need to be
able to tailor this process to the specific situations and needs of individual clients by drawing on a
comprehensive set of approaches, tools, and practices.
A strengths-based approach
Several CDS practitioners and experts said they thought focusing on clients’ assets, strengths, and
potential was much more effective than the traditional approach to assessment, which is based
primarily on identifying needs, gaps, and barriers. This was felt to be particularly true for clients with
significant challenges to employment and those who have had negative experiences with testing and
formal learning. In this approach, counsellors work with clients to reflect upon past work, education,
volunteer and life experiences to highlight clients’ skills, especially in relation to HRSDC’s Essential
Skills framework. Counsellors then work with clients to demonstrate how these skills can be applied to
a variety of types of employment. Portfolios with examples or descriptions of previous work or skills
demonstrated are sometimes created. Practitioners stated that this strengths-based approach can
change how clients view their abilities and their beliefs about what kinds of work they are capable of
and interested in doing.
One form of this approach, called Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR), has been
increasingly used in Manitoba, where it is being piloted or adopted for use within post-secondary
institutions, adult learning and employment centres, and some industry associations and regulatory
bodies. It has also been incorporated into Aboriginal education and training strategies.
A transferable skills approach
Similar to a strengths-based approach, this approach involves identifying the fundamental skills related
to a specific job and looking at other contexts and jobs in which these may be applied. It can be applied
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to essential, academic, or technical skills. One group of practitioners in Manitoba reported using this
approach to help workers determine what training they needed to transition from one industry to
another (e.g., heavy equipment operations in forestry compared to mining). It may also be useful when
assisting Aboriginal clients or immigrants who are uncertain about how their skills fit with the needs of
the Canadian labour market.
More comprehensive assessment
For clients with multiple barriers, CDS practitioners identified the need for more comprehensive
assessment and counselling methods that can capture a wider range of barriers and factors affecting
employment readiness. This comprehensive approach can involve identifying issues in broader life
domains than just employment, and their “spillover” effects or barriers to employment (e.g., family
responsibilities, housing issues, transportation, etc.). It can also involve looking at issues in more depth
to understand the extent of need and what supports might be required (e.g., for addictions). In this
respect, it can include access to specialized psycho-educational assessments to determine specific
conditions or disabilities and their impact on learning and employability.
More comprehensive assessment can also mean a more informed and sensitive approach to identifying
the impact that disabilities and other systemic barriers such as discrimination have on employment, as
well as the accommodations and supports that might help address these. For instance, practitioners in
all provinces reported that some clients appear highly unmotivated and unwilling to look for work or
attempt training, and that this can be particularly challenging for both the client and provider to
overcome. According to practitioners, however, this lack of motivation can sometimes mask a lack of
self-confidence or low self-esteem, cultural differences, or inter-generational effects of poverty and
discrimination. Practitioners indicated that a comprehensive approach to assessment would help CDS
providers understand this behaviour more clearly, and be able to provide or refer to the most
appropriate and effective interventions.
Our consultations identified several interesting approaches to comprehensive assessment, particularly
by CDS practitioners working with disabled clients (e.g., in Nova Scotia). One approach was the Stages
of Change model, also called the Employment Readiness model. Based on the Transtheoretical model
(TMM) of health behaviour change (Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992),15 the Stages of Change
model views positive change as gradual and progressive rather than dramatic, and recognizes it is not
always a linear process. This approach underlies the career counselling provided by a non-profit EAS
provider in Manitoba, and was evaluated in a study of 3,000 participants, 60 per cent of whom were
Aboriginal people. The goal of the project was to help individuals overcome their ambivalence towards
looking for, obtaining, and retaining meaningful employment. The study reported that using this
approach helped participants obtain meaningful employment more quickly and remain steadily
employed. The study also reported positive effects for those prepared for a change, which is considered
to be due to the fact that even the most prepared can have a setback in their motivation. Overall, the
15 Prochaska, J.O., DiClemente, C.C., & Norcross, J.C. (1992). In search of how people change:
Applications to addictive behaviours. American Psychologist, 47(9), p. 1102-1114.
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study reported a 25 per cent decrease in participants being released from programming, a 34 per cent
increase in first time employed numbers, and a 48 per cent increase in 6-month employment retention.
More flexible assessment
Our consultations revealed that significant effort was being made in each of the provinces —
particularly in conjunction with employers, sector councils, and some training providers — to find the
most effective standardized skills assessment tools. For example, we heard that many employers in
Nova Scotia and Manitoba now conduct their own assessment of essential skills using measures such as
the TOWES, the CATC, the AMES, etc.
However, there were also some CDS practitioners and training providers in each province who said
they felt this trend was somewhat misguided. One training provider in Manitoba, for example, said he
thought the tests done through his own institution were better at identifying learners who would do
well in their chosen program, rather than those who might need support, which from his perspective,
ought to be the goal.
In the same vein, several CDS practitioners said they were taking a more flexible approach to the
assessment of clients’ needs, including narrative assessment through questions, stories, and dialogue
rather than written exercises. Other informal approaches included self-assessment, the portfolio
approach mentioned earlier, and facilitated assessment, such as by breaking the format of skills testing
into smaller blocks of time over a longer period and providing supports (e.g., a facilitator, pre-test
“refresher” training, or “break-out” rooms for those dealing with test anxiety). According to the
practitioners and experts to whom we spoke, these approaches were much more effective at engaging
people with low levels of literacy and essential skills, and those who have had negative experiences
with testing and formal education. One key informant in Manitoba told us that using these methods
with chronically unemployed, long-term social assistance recipients had enabled 95 per cent of
attendees to persist through the week-long assessment process, and higher than expected rates of
transition to employment or further training.
Career development programs
A multi-pronged approach
While some CDS practitioners emphasized one aspect of career development programs over another,
taken together, practitioner input suggests that career development counsellors would need the
following in order to be most effective:
1. An in-depth understanding of the local, provincial and national labour markets (that is, connections to
employers, knowledge of which sectors have better-paying jobs);
2. Knowledge of the education and training system (i.e., a good sense of what kinds of training programs
can lead people to a better advancement trajectory); and
3. Excellent assessment and counselling skills, including an ability to support and motivate clients facing
multiple or complex challenges.
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Other factors external to CDS but which practitioners also identified as essential for client success
included a robust and diversified local economy (there have to be jobs for people to go to), a variety of
accessible, relevant, and stable training options, and community-based resources, infrastructure (e.g.,
affordable housing, transportation, and child care), and support services to address particular needs.
Flexible delivery of CDS
Similar to the assessment stage, CDS practitioners in all provinces eschewed a one-size-fits-all model of
career development service delivery in favour of a menu of options to which clients could be referred to
depending on their specific needs and circumstances. A comprehensive menu would include intensive
services for clients with multiple barriers; Web-based approaches for clients who can use services
independently; and group approaches, where appropriate.
For clients with complex underlying barriers to employment, change is often a gradual and progressive
process, so there is a need for longer-term, intensive CDS options that can accommodate this gradual
process, such as employment case management options based on the Stages of Change Model. One
former provincial program in British Columbia that was offered to Income Assistance recipients
experiencing long-term unemployment may fit this model: it offered up to 10 months of intensive
services and emphasized a variety of life skills and specific skills, and fostering connections between
clients and members of the community. According to one CDS practitioner, 53 per cent of clients
maintained employment for four years after the program, and a return of $22 million was estimated for
the community in which the evaluation took place. Another notable program is for individuals who are
unable to achieve financial independence because of specific barriers to employment. Although not an
employment program, it includes features that practitioners deemed promising: in-depth assessment,
one-to-one supports and referral/navigation throughout the program, personal counselling, life skills
development, supports and services from external community organizations, and follow-up services for
six months following completion.
For clients who can handle more self-directed support, some CDS practitioners expressed support for
more online options, such as interactive Web-based tools that provide career information and
individual activities to unemployed or under-employed clients. Promising features of web-based
services that were identified include accurate, up-to-date, targeted career related content addressing
the learning and development goal of the individual; learning strategies for engaging with the
information and applying it to one’s personal context and developmental processes; and a process for
individuals to engage in interactive communication with CDS counsellors.
Finally, providers viewed transferable skills approaches to CDS as promising approaches to helping
clients identify career paths that allow clients to build upon current strengths. We heard several
examples of this approach across all three provinces. For instance, one college in British Columbia
provides a skills exploration program for unemployed individuals that offers a flexible, three phased
approach that clients can enter and exit based on need. The program includes: pre- and post-program
skills assessment, skills exploration and portfolio development, job search and next steps planning.
Upon completion, students are referred back to their case manager.
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Matching based on need
CDS practitioners in all three provinces stated that programs would maximize effectiveness if they
were able to refer clients based on needs and not be limited by (seemingly arbitrary) program
eligibility requirements or local availability. In particular, practitioners stated that clients should be
able to participate in CDS programs regardless of EI status.
Partnering and pooling of resources
Partnership was a dominant theme of our consultations across all three provinces. CD providers were
clear that the only way they could begin to address the employability needs of clients with low LES or
other complex needs was to partner with community-based organizations such as Adult Learning
Centres, Literacy Networks, mental health agencies and other social service providers. Training
providers too, talked about how they worked in partnership with employers and industry to ensure
their training offerings were relevant. Finally, key informant experts echoed the views of groups,
underlining the importance of collaboration among employment service providers, training
institutions, employers and industry groups (e.g., sector councils), labour, and community
organizations. This kind of collaborative, community development approach was seen as critical to the
success of projects for specialized client groups, particularly in rural and remote regions where needs
could be quite specific and employment and training options limited.
Practitioners in all three provinces cited a partnership-based approach to CDS delivery. One example is
coordinated employment supports, whereby regular career counselling is provided by an employment
resource centre, but pre-employment supports (e.g., résumé writing, interview coaching) are
contracted out to a community-based provider. More intensive counselling supports for clients with
disabilities or special needs may also be contracted out. Depending on the extent of a client’s need ,
comprehensive, “wrap-around” supports may also be arranged, whereby several community-based
organizations coordinate provision of the required social services. In some cases, co-locating services
(e.g., employment services and literacy providers) has been a helpful way to coordinate services,
making referrals easier and more efficient and reducing stigma for clients.
Another promising approach to partnership goes further, pooling financial resources across providers
in a region. CDS practitioners in Nova Scotia pointed to the Community Coordinator model used by both
generic and specialized employment service providers in that province. With this approach, an
“envelope” of training support dollars is provided to one community agency to run specific training;
this designated Community Coordinator agency is then responsible for working with other local
employment support providers to select appropriate clients. In this way, decisions about approving
training plans are kept at the local level and resources are shared, helping to address the problem of
access and uneven program availability.
A similar example is the Collaborative Partnership Network (CPN), also in Nova Scotia. The CPN is a
formal network of 10 non-profit organizations that share responsibility for the provision of a
continuum of employment services to individuals with disabilities, including connecting them with
employers. Members compile their expertise and best practices, including assessment tools, intake
processes and career counselling techniques to determine which ones fit the specific needs of people
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with disabilities. With only one staff, it has a de-centralized organizational model; its projects are
coordinated by the member organizations themselves, who organize themselves in four regional
clusters. Each cluster collaborates on proposals for special projects, and once funded the cluster of CPN
agencies then uses a Community Coordinator model to implement the project. In addition to localized
decision-making, a distinct advantage, according to representatives, is the flexibility of the funding
model, since the network can move funds to the partnering agencies as required.
Another example of this model comes from British Columbia, where a group of 15 colleges have
collaborated with local CDS providers and employers to create a continuing education system that is
responsive to local CDS clients’ and employer needs. Called the BC Labour Market Consortium (LMC), it
has a single point of funding intake, contract management and data collection and reporting, with local
flexibility to offer programs that are responsive to local needs. A formative evaluation of the BC LMC
reports that this approach is cost-effective; promotes standardization and consistency in data collection
and reporting, while still allowing for local autonomy to ensure specific needs of the various
communities are met. The consortium approach also allows for needs-based allocation of funds,
encourages partnerships and collaboration as well as sharing ideas and curriculum across providers
and regions, and can produce economies of scale and increase program productivity.
Investment focus
There was consensus among CDS practitioners and training providers in all three provinces that client
outcomes would be improved if they could refer clients to programs that took a human capital
investment approach that focused on ensuring clients had skills and experience to succeed in a
knowledge economy. This is in contrast to a more traditional approach that focuses on putting clients
on the shortest route to employment and without consideration of whether clients simply recycle back
into the system.
Skills development
A range of training options
CDS practitioners and training providers generally expressed a need for a broader range of training
options in terms of the focus, length, delivery mode, schedule, in order to be able to find training
solutions that matched clients’ needs and interests. Practitioners were also enthusiastic about
approaches that eliminated the trade-off between short-term training courses and longer-term
certificate/diploma/degree programs by allowing clients to apply credits from completed courses to a
formal educational program if desired. Essentially, practitioners supported the idea that clients should
be able to pursue their career goals incrementally, with minimal burden, and in ways that were
responsive to individual career ambitions.
Training tailored to an adult audience
Many CDS practitioners argued that training options customized to the needs of adult learners and
which accommodate adult life circumstances, such as work and family life, are more likely to yield
positive outcomes than regular college courses. While most training providers said they offered on-line
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and distance learning, a few said they were starting to offer more training in evenings and on
weekends. One training provider we spoke to pointed out that her institution was in the midst of
building on-site housing and a child care facility that would be open to both students and the general
public.
Training programs offering multiple entry points were identified as promising, including module-based
programs in which students have the option of taking all four modules consecutively or only those that
apply to them, with a certificate being issued upon successful completion of each module. One example
currently offered in Manitoba is the Construction Technology program at Red River College. The full
four-year program grants students a Bachelor of Technology degree, but there are three additional exit
points; each year provides students with a stand-alone, industry-recognized certificate or diploma.
However, we were cautioned that such courses can pose their own challenges, both to learners who
have to put in additional hours to master a broad skill set at each level, and to the training institution, in
updating curriculum for the entire program to keep it relevant to industry needs.
Some providers noted the importance of making instructional design and delivery appropriate for
learners with low LES by making the process informative and concrete, with an abundance of
opportunities to engage in real-life, occupation-specific example or simulations, facilitated by access to
appropriate equipment as appropriate. Practitioners also highlighted the need for relevant and
meaningful learning goals, as well as instruction from trained instructors with experience in the
relevant industry.
Training options that integrate several areas of learning
Another theme that emerged from our consultations with CDS practitioners and training providers as
well as key informant experts is that of integrating different types of training, such as combining
academic upgrading or essential skills training with diploma courses, industry-specific training with
Essential Skills training, or adding a workplace training component to either academic learning or
technical training. These were usually custom-designed technical and essential skills projects
developed in collaboration between training providers and sector councils or industry associations and
which in some cases also offered work experience, and well as occupational programs that offered high
school credits and incorporated literacy benchmarks.
Several promising practices were identified that incorporated pre-employment training and on-the-job
experience with established pathways to LES training and academic upgrading when and if required.
For instance, practitioners in one province identified an occupational training program that included up
to eight weeks of unpaid workplace training, incorporated training in workplace essential skills, and
the option of combining it with LES and academic upgrading. Another example was a program available
in some Aboriginal communities that was developed and delivered in partnership with industry and
ratified by the sector skills council. This was a customizable program that integrates literacy and
essential skills, academic upgrading, employability skills, and workplace training, and was four to six
month in duration. These programs were seen as an important way of addressing employers’ concerns
that employability and LES skills gaps were a higher priority than technical training, some of which
could be provided on the job.
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Labour market transitions
Dual customer approach
Many CDS practitioners and several training providers in each province were interested in developing
initiatives that aimed at addressing the needs of both workers/individuals and employers while playing
the middle ground between the demand and supply sides of the labour market. Many stated that they
often acted informally as brokers, linking employers, service providers and other key institutions; this
was considered a key way to identify and/or create employment opportunities for clients. Several
reported that employers are generally unaware of the programs and supports that are available to
them. Going beyond existing programs, practitioners expressed a pressing need and an interest in
educating employers to help them enhance the quality of employment opportunities for job seekers;
they believed this would appeal to employers because it would help improve their competitiveness.
CDS practitioners gave several examples of this dual-customer approach. For instance, it is used by the
member agencies of the Collaborative Partnership Networks in Nova Scotia for people with disabilities.
Many agencies provide job coaching and retention supports, and the CPN has a Maintenance
Counsellor: an individual assigned to a client and involves visiting employer, discussing employee
needs with employer, maintaining contact with clients on a weekly or monthly basis. A similar
approach is taken in some sector councils to assist specific client groups, such as creating the role of
Aboriginal Liaison Officer responsible for working with employers to encourage the employment of
Aboriginal workers. In addition, Employment Manitoba staff said they often participated with local
industries or employers in Workforce Adjustment Committees, which were struck when downsizing or
closures were planned. Their purpose is to best plan for the effective transition of workers to other
jobs, employers, or sectors.
Work experience
Most CDS practitioners and training providers also underscored that a key element of the transition to
employment is combining work experience with skills development or training (e.g., Skills
Development with Targeted Wage Subsidy). Clients often need support gaining work experience in the
occupation/industry for which they received training. Other related promising practices include
workplace mentoring, and networking events and activities.
Retention supports
Many CDS practitioners and training providers expressed a desire to be able to offer supports to
employers for managing clients with various needs, and extending supports and services to clients with
special needs even after the client has obtained employment. Programs for specialized client groups
such as youth, immigrants, and people with disabilities have found this to be an essential ingredient of
success, and CDS providers said they would like to have the flexibility to offer this service to clients who
would not otherwise be eligible for such support.
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4. Conclusions and recommendations
Respondents in our study have identified a large number of programs or practices that they believed
were working well in their jurisdiction. Notably, a range of partnership models in the delivery of CDS
and SD programs were observed in all jurisdictions. Innovative collaborative approaches have been
observed in both the planning and delivery of services including provider committees, co-location, and
delivery consortiums. Findings also suggest that other components of the innovative approaches
observed in international settings are also present in Canadian jurisdictions. Elements of sectoral
approaches were observed where industry is engaged along with other stakeholders in attempting to
align educational opportunities with labour market needs. Some of the principles of the career
pathways approach are also be found in existing delivery models including the design of some modular
offerings with flexible entry and exit points. However, jurisdictions differ considerably in this respect
and no province has implemented fully developed pathways models.
At the same time, many respondents also identified gaps in services where the needs of clients were not
being fully addressed. In other cases, respondents expressed uncertainty about whether client needs
were being fully met or not, directly suggesting the need for further evidence about what works best.
Gaps in the assessment and referral process were noted, with much uncertainty about whether existing
tools sufficiently capture the range of client needs, or whether they are even suitable for all client
groups. Associated gaps in the planning and delivery of CDS and SD were also expressed, with concern
over the suitability of referrals and whether available offerings are fully meeting client needs.
Drawing on these findings SRDC has identified five broadly defined potential options for further
research. Tests of these approaches would provide significant evidence about what works best
throughout the range of client services. Option 1 addresses knowledge gaps about what works in the
assessment and referral process through process-driven assessment that meets a full range of client
needs. Options 2 and 3 address how the planning and delivery of CDS can be better organized through
collaborative partnerships and comprehensive delivery models. Options 4 and 5 then address how the
planning and delivery of SD training programs are best undertaken including an emphasis on sectoral
partnerships and pathways delivery models.
Option 1: A customized, flexible approach to assessment
Investigate a comprehensive but flexible assessment process that would be tailored to individual client
needs. A demonstration could evaluate this approach for predictive validity, implementation feasibility,
and added value of improved matches between interventions and individual clients’ needs. While the
set of assessment tools would need to be developed through further consultations, our initial research
suggests that there are at least three types of assessment tools that would need to be included in such
an approach. Figure 3 provides a brief description of each of these types of assessments.
Rationale
Most practitioners underscored the importance of assessment done well, but there are significant gaps
in terms of evidence about which practices and tools work best with which client groups. Practitioners
in all three provinces stated that the most promising approaches conceptualized assessment as a
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process rather than a tool. To be effective, practitioners indicated a need to be able to tailor this process
to the specific situations of individual clients by drawing on a comprehensive set of tools and practices.
By testing a customized, flexible approach to assessment, HRSDC could advance the knowledge base
about which assessment practices work best and for whom.
Figure 3 A set of assessment tools to meet a range of client circumstances
Option 2: A partnership approach to CDS planning
Investigate the extent to which a partnership approach to CDS planning improves the quality and
quantity of services and provides better matches to client and employer needs. Practitioners identified
three distinct partnership approaches that could be tested: community CDS provider committees; co-
location; and career development consortiums. The degree of implementation effort will vary among
these three approaches and may be thought of as increasing along a continuum, as shown in Figure 4
below.
a) Community CDS provider committees — A relatively simple approach could be to test the use of local
CDS service provider committees or networks that bring together client stakeholders. These
committees would aim to promote referrals between member agencies, coordinate service availability,
gain input from employers, and share knowledge and expertise.
This is an approach currently used by the Collaborative Partnership Network (CPN) in Nova Scotia, and
has been identified as a promising approach by practitioners.
• In a holistic fashion, considers a range of factors including skills, motivation, expectations, self-efficacy, a variety of structural barriers, and personal circumstances.
•Example - Employment Readiness Scale, assesses three areas: self-sufficiency, individual challenges, and coping capacity
Comprehensive
•Assesses clients’ literacy and essential skills (LES) levels
•Essential skills assessments are critical to ensuring a fit between the client and subsequent career development interventions
Transferable skills
•Clients with special circumstances may need access to psycho-social and/or psycho-educational assessments to identify learning barriers and other disabilities, and allow them to gain access to additional funds for training and/or supports
Psychosocial/Psycho-educational
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b) Co-location — Another option is to test the use of co-location of services. In this approach, multiple
services for diverse groups of clients are offered at a single location, with an aim to increasing access to
services and wrap-around supports.
Some providers noted the importance of co-location of employment assistance services with other
community or education services, both for the reduced stigma attached to accessing the employment
centre and also for the potential access to wrap-around supports already in place within these other
services.
c) Career development consortiums — A more ambitious option is to test the use of regional
consortiums. These consortiums would include membership of employment services providers,
training providers, local employers and other stakeholders, and would take a dual customer focus by
addressing the needs of clients, employers and other stakeholders, and aligning educational
opportunities with economic development objectives. Similar to the approach adopted by BC Labour
Market Consortium, each consortium could have a single point of funding intake, contract management
and data collection and reporting, with local flexibility to offer programs that are responsive to local
needs (see Figure 5).
A formative evaluation of the BC LMC reports that this approach is cost-effective; it promotes
standardization and consistency in data collection and reporting, while at the same time allowing for
local autonomy to ensure the specific needs of the various communities are met; allows for needs-
based allocation of funds; the development of a single program delivery plan can encourage
partnerships and collaboration as well as the sharing of ideas and curriculum across providers and
regions; and it can produce economies of scale and increase program productivity.
Figure 4 A continuum of approaches to coordinating planning across a community
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Figure 5 Organizational structure of a consortium approach to CDS planning and delivery
Rationale
Practitioners in all three provinces reported that what is available often depends on where clients live
rather than what is needed in the community. Practitioners also noted inconsistent referral processes
in across and even within delivery sites. Practitioners identified a collaborative, needs-based planning
approach involving partnerships among CDS service providers, related service agencies, and employers
as a solution for a perceived lack of awareness, coordination, integration of services and supports, and
responsive to local communities. By testing collaborative approaches to CDS planning, HRSDC can
contribute to the knowledge base about the effectiveness of collaborative planning approaches in
addressing these issues.
Operations
Centralized
Contract
Management
(Program
Manager)
Consortium Member
Service Delivery
Consortium Member
Service Delivery
Consortium Member
Service Delivery
Consortium Member
Service Delivery
Consortium Member
Service Delivery
Consortium Member
Service Delivery
Governance
Contract Oversight & Policy
Governance
Program Sponsor
Governance
System-wide oversight
& Executive Support
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Option 3: A comprehensive set of CDS interventions based on client need
Investigate the premise that a significant proportion of clients, even those considered self-directed
would improve their employment outcomes if they were eligible to participate in high quality, career
development programs. This option could test a set of career exploration and preparation programs
that range in terms of intensity and depth depending on client needs. The menu of interventions would
need to be developed through further consultations, but would include: less intensive career
development services, including assistance with researching labour market opportunities, identifying
career goals, and determining which training programs could lead to a better advancement trajectory;
and more comprehensive services, including assistance to overcome multiple barriers such as skills
gaps, financial pressures, lack of supports, and mental health challenges. Clients would be referred to
one of these options based on the results a comprehensive assessment. Figure 6 shows an example of a
menu of CDS interventions.
Figure 6 A set of career development programs to meet a range of client needs
In this model, self-serve clients would receive less intensive services such as Web-based services. This
could be modeled after CareerMotion, which tested the effectiveness of an interactive Web-based tool
designed by BC career counsellors to provide career information and individual activities to
unemployed or under-employed post-secondary graduates. Services could include: accurate, up-to-
date, targeted career related content addressing the learning and development goal of the individual;
learning strategies for engaging with the information and applying it to one’s personal context and
developmental processes; process for individuals and career practitioners to engage in interactive
communication with CDS counsellors.
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Clients in need of practitioner-guided services could participate in transferable skills activities using
HRSDC’s Essential Skills framework. Counsellors would work with clients to reflect upon past work,
volunteer and life experiences to highlight clients’ skills. Counsellors would then work with clients to
demonstrate how these skills can be applied in a variety of types of employment and create
transferable skills portfolios.
Clients facing multiple and/or complex barriers to employment would participate in intensive services,
which could include: a mix of workshops and one-on-one support that would address psycho-social
barrier, matching career goals to labour market needs; identifying transferable skills and action
planning; referral to training providers; personal counselling and life skills development, referrals to
external specialized services and supports; and work placements. This approach would also likely
require wraparound supports, including income, childcare, and transportation supports.
Rationale
In the context of a rapidly changing labour market where individuals increasingly need to retrain or
upgrade their skills, the optimal path toward advancement is often complicated and may be difficult to
navigate on one’s own, even for clients who are labelled as “self-directed.” Practitioners in all three
provinces stated that individuals increasingly need guided support as they gain the knowledge, skills,
attitudes and behaviours to manage their learning, work and transitions in order to maximize their
labour market potential, and would be best served if they had access to programs as needed. By
examining a needs-based model offering a comprehensive menu of CDS interventions, HRSDC could test
this premise. The province of Ontario has already moved in this direction, and the British Columbia is
currently considering a similar approach.
Option 4: A partnership approach to training provision
Investigate the extent to which a partnership approach to training provision would better achieve a
number of objectives including increasing provider capacity, better alignment between educational
opportunities and local labour market needs, and better integration of career counselling services with
training provision. Practitioners identified at least two different partnership approaches. One less
intensive approach would be to test the added value of advisory committees comprised of college
faculty, administrators and industry representatives. A more intensive approach would be to test the
added value of regional consortiums of training providers and CDS providers that would identify local
client and employer needs, coordinate their training options, pool their resources and allocate funds.
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Figure 7 A continuum of partnership approaches for designing and delivering training
Program Advisory Committees — One option is to test the use of program advisory committees
comprised of college faculty, administrators and industry representatives. These committees could be
present in each educational institution and could recommend training programs to be offered in the
institution in response to local employer/industry needs. CDS clients could then receive funding to take
these programs.
Regional consortiums — A more intensive approach would be to test regional consortiums of training
providers and CDS providers, which would aim to identify local client and employer needs, coordinate
their training options, pool their resources and allocate funds. The consortium could receive one lump-
sum of public funds, and use a streamlined data collection and reporting process. For further
coordination, the consortium of skills development providers could partner with employment service
providers for referral purposes or to co-sponsor clients for specific, skills-based training programs.
Partnerships of this sort have the potential to leverage additional training funds for unemployed
individuals, and increase service capacity at the community level.
Rationale
Providers perceive a mismatch between available local training programs and prescribed Skills
Development funding criteria (e.g., minimum number of weeks; maximum training dollar amounts), as
well a disparity between client needs and local availability. Partnership approaches that involved
educational, employment services and employer representatives were identified as a promising way to
address these access and availability issues.
Option 5: A pathways approach to skills development that offers a comprehensive suite of
flexible, customized training options
Investigate a program that facilitated the design and delivery of a career pathways approach to training
in a carefully selected set of key occupations that are in high demand in the local labour market. In this
approach, colleges would develop and provide flexible occupational training for these occupations in
the form of modular courses that offer industry-recognized credentials in the shortest possible time,
while also putting individuals on an educational pathway that allows them to return to further
education as circumstances permit. Students would have access to sector-specific career ladders that
are linked to a sequence of modular educational opportunities and connected to support services that
enable individuals to get jobs in these occupations and advance to higher levels of education and work
(see Figure 8).
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Figure 8 A pathways approach to skills development
Colleges would work with employers in the selected industry or industrial sector to organize work into
a clear, promotional ladder based on skill level, and educators would then design smaller, sequential
chunks of learning that match those laddered jobs and present easier-to-attain educational goals for
workers. Each Career Pathway step would result in a credential that has meaning in the educational
sphere and the employment sphere, at least across an industry in a given region. This approach would
also provide visual roadmaps depicting the coursework, competencies, skill requirements, and
credentials needed for a series of related occupations in an industry sector. To accommodate learners
with lower skills, Literacy and Essential Skills training would be embedded in the first level of the
educational pathway. It would also include career lattices that identify multiple entry and exits points
and potential lateral and vertical movement within an occupation or career cluster linked to
occupational labour market data. Finally, students would have access to wraparound supports such as
academic counselling, referral to community resources, and childcare.
Within this pathways framework, students would have access to a continuum of short-term and longer-
term training programs targeted to different client groups based the needs identified in the assessment
process, including: intensive, technical training; vocational industry training; and basic skills upgrading
(see Figure 9).
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Figure 9 A continuum of integrated and comprehensive pathways approaches
The demonstration could also test the benefits for certain client groups of integrating various
components to traditional training programs, such as: integrating an LES component with vocational or
industry certification courses; integrating a “soft” skills training component focused on developing
communication, problem-solving and interpersonal skills for the workplace; integrating academic
upgrading with technical training; and integrating language instruction with any program from basic
skills to technical certification programs. The addition of a work placement component may also be
tested.
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Rationale
Testing a pathways approach to skills development would respond to the increasing recognition that
less educated adults often need foundational skills training before they can enter and successfully
complete occupational training or re-training programs. In addition, pathways projects respond to the
growing consensus that most traditional occupational and technical diploma programs are not well-
suited or responsive to the needs of working age adults.
The BC Labour Market Consortium is currently in the process of implementing a career pathways
approach. Not only was this approach reported as promising among our participants, but also the
career pathways approach is widely recognized as the leading approach to occupational training for
adults across the United States. The approach is being studied, piloted, and implemented in several US
states. While there are numerous case study and anecdotal accounts, there are no rigorous evaluations
to date.
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Appendix A: List of participants
Nova Scotia
YMCA of Cape Breton
New Waterford Resource Centre
North Victoria Employment Support
Career Development Inverness Richmond
Northside Employment and Resource Centre
Employability Partnership
East Novability Society for Disabled Persons
Richmond Community Literacy Network
African Nova Scotian Employment Centre
Employment Solutions Society
FutureWorx
Career Connections
Job Resource Centre (PeopleWorx)
Opportunity Place
Eastlink
Teamwork Cooperative
Nova Scotia Community College
Commercial Safety College
Manitoba
Employment Manitoba — Portage la Prairie, Beausejour, Steinbach, Gimli, Selkirk, Thompson, Flin Flon,
The Pas, Dauphin, Brandon, Northeast Winnipeg, Southwest Winnipeg, and Southwest Winnipeg
centres
Manitoba Entrepreneurship, Training, and Trade (ETT)
Regional Employment Resource Centre, Russell, MB
Selkirk Friendship Centre
Osborne Village Resource Centre, Winnipeg, MB
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Assiniboine Community College
Red River College
University College of the North
British Columbia
ASPECT
Bowman Employment Services
CBD Network Inc.
Community Futures of North Okanagan
Douglas College Training Group
ETHOS Career Management Group
Free Rein Associates Ltd.
Myert Corps Inc.
Okanagan College
South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services
Steele O'Neil and Associates
Sunshine Coast Employment Centre
Training Innovations
YMCA-YWCA of the Central Okanagan
YWCA Vancouver
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Appendix B: Focus group protocol
1. By way of introductions, please start off by telling us two or three things about your organization that
make it unique (e.g., where you’re located, who you serve, what services you provide).
2. What is the client profile of your organization? What proportion are clients with lower levels of
education and/or basic skills? Have there been changes to your clientele over the past few years? (If a
specialized clientele) why did you choose to focus on this particular clientele?
3. What are some of the unique features of the local labour market where your organization is located?
Has this changed over the past couple of years? How does this affect the services your organization
provides?
4. What learning barriers do your clients typically face? To what extent does a lack of literacy and
essential skills pose barriers to unemployed adults at your organization? What are some of the other
needs clients present?
5. Most EAS/CDS providers provide a mix of assessment, information, return-to work planning, case
management, and referral. Are there key features of these services that are unique or done differently
at your organization? How have you adapted or tailored these service elements to meet the needs of
low-skilled, unemployed adults?
6. As a service provider, what practices have you found to be particularly effective for delivering EAS/CDS
services to unemployed low-skilled adults?
7. What practices do you find most contribute to the success of these clients in terms of re-entering the
labour market?
8. In your opinion, what are some of the gaps in service delivery across the region or province, in terms of
employment assistance or career developments services for low-skilled, unemployed adults? What are
some of the changes needed in this area?
9. What are some of the most promising ideas or practices you know of to meet the employment or career
development needs of low-skilled unemployed adults? Have you heard of any practices or work being
done in other areas that you think might work here?
10. Based on your own work, is there an innovative idea you’d like to try out in terms of providing
employment assistance/career development services to low-skilled, unemployed adults? If you could
introduce one or two innovative ideas into the provision of services for this group — either at your own
organization or at a broader, systems level — what would they be? What potential change would be
most exciting to see?
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Appendix C: Training provider interview protocol
Topic areas and sample questions
Learner needs
What is the student profile for your institution? Have there been changes in the student profile over the
past few years? What proportion of students would be unemployed adults with low skills and/or low
levels of education?
How would unemployed adults who want to develop their skills to re-enter the job market connect
with your institution? Who would they be referred to, and what services would they receive?
What are the various training options available to unemployed adults through your institution? What
programs are most popular and why? Who takes what type of training and why?
How does your institution respond to changing local economic and labour market conditions (e.g., older
and displaced workers, immigrant workers, local conditions)? How has the provision of training
changed to meet these needs? How do you remain responsive to unique or changing needs?
Barriers to learning and employment
What learning barriers do unemployed adult students clients typically face? To what extent does a lack
of literacy and essential skills pose barriers to unemployed adult students at your institution?
How does your institution address these barriers? Do you have special programs, services, or supports
available to help unemployed adult students? If so, please describe. If not, why not?
Gaps in training delivery
Are unemployed adult students receiving adequate supports to address any barriers and benefit fully
from their training? (literacy or foundational skills training, financial assistance, support for other
personal or family constraints)
What else do unemployed adult students need in terms of supports to benefit from training and move
into employment? What are the gaps? (E.g., further assessment, counselling, or facilitation.) What other
obstacles are there, and what would it take to overcome these?
Promising practice
As a training institution, what practices have you found to be particularly effective in delivering
training to unemployed, low-skilled adults?
What practices do you find most contribute to the success of these learners in terms of re-entering the
labour market?
Career development services and skills development programs: Gaps, innovations, and opportunities
Final report
Social Research and Demonstration Corporation 55
What are some of the most promising ideas or practices you know of to meeting the training needs of
low-skilled, unemployed adults? Have you heard of any practices or work being done in other areas of
Canada that you think might work here?
Based on your own work, is there an innovative idea you’d like to try out in terms of the provision of
training to low-skilled, unemployed adults? If you could introduce one or two innovative ideas into the
provision of training to this group, either at the broader systems level or within your institution, what
would it be? What potential change would be most exciting to see?